Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 144

Weapon-Devouring Bastard – Chapter 144

The magic of the Papal State differs in nature from common magic.

That power, so-called Divine Magic, disrupts cohesion and introduces chaos into the magical system when it clashes with ordinary magic.

Furthermore, their Aura is not only specialized in physical recovery and defense but also possesses purifying properties, making it exceedingly complex.

In a direct confrontation, they often gain the upper hand due to these inherent differences. Even when attempting more technical approaches, the intricate nature of their magic can be a significant obstacle.

Therefore, although individual capabilities vary, Paladins are generally known to be able to contend with opponents who have mastered magic at a level beyond their own.

Moreover, in group battles, they create a powerful synergy, effectively becoming a mobile fortress.

And now, that very magic was bearing down on me.

‘To think she’d use her ultimate technique right from the start.’

The ultimate technique that Serena Cannata was known for in my past life.

Light Curtain.

Within this golden, glowing space, manipulating magic becomes incredibly difficult for anyone else.

It seems it’s not yet fully developed, as it lacks physical force, but the completed Light Curtain of Serena Cannata even had each of these fog-like Aura particles exploding like miniature bombs.

“Be careful.”

Serena warned, swinging her mace at my side.

I momentarily ceased channeling my Aura, pivoting to evade the mace.

‘This is a first.’

There have been a few instances where my magic was restricted.

When entering dungeons like the Great Magic Road, magic manipulation was suppressed, and when I was caught in the tamer’s formation in the Scarlet Desert with my sixth sister’s ability, my magic was also restricted.

However, each time, I managed to overcome it using the special magic technique I created with my aunt.

The problem is that the Light Curtain Serena deployed doesn’t affect the magical system itself but the magic directly.

The moment I try to release Aura, the magic that should coalesce like clay scatters and crumbles like grains of sand.

And in this situation, Serena freely wielded her magic and charged at me.

Clang!

Serena launched herself forward, shield first.

Shield Charge.

The shield, which I thought was distant, suddenly appeared right before my face.

“Gasp!”

I subtly adjusted my front foot, deflecting the attack along the curved surface of the shield with the edge of my sword.

If she swings her mace after this, she’ll leave an opening.

That was my intended target.

But.

“……”

Serena didn’t follow through. She immediately shifted her stance.

This indicated that not only was her magic exceptional, but her tactical awareness and martial arts talent were also remarkable.

Whoong! Bang!

Serena pushed off the ground once more.

The sand beneath her feet exploded outwards.

Thud! Clang! Clang!

Each swing of the mace generated tremendous wind pressure.

Since a direct confrontation was inadvisable, evasion was the best course of action.

Whenever a collision seemed unavoidable, I deflected the blows with the sword’s edge as much as possible.

I continued to manage the scattering magic, focusing all my energy on dodging Serena’s attacks.

‘Right shoulder, no. It’s a feint. It’s the front!’

Whoosh! Bang!

I rolled across the ground, glancing up at Serena.

Before our initial conversation, she seemed like an ordinary girl, but as soon as the battle commenced, a fierce glint ignited in her eyes as she wielded her weapon.

“You are indeed formidable. At this rate, it won’t end quickly.”

Serena rotated her mace in the air.

Instantly, the mace began to emit a milky white fog.

I recognized the weapon.

A relic-grade weapon, Soleas.

A holy artifact crafted by incorporating a fragment of a pillar from an ancient, pre-historic temple.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

She shielded her upper body and began to spin the mace with her free hand.

As the radius of the rotation increased, the misty Aura began to spin even faster.

Another ultimate technique in her arsenal, Holy Sky Strike.

One of the most renowned ultimate techniques of Christina, the leader of the Paladins.

‘I can’t block that.’

Holy Sky Strike, wielded with a holy artifact.

It’s impossible to block without a weapon of comparable quality.

But I can evade it.

‘I’ve figured out a solution.’

I extended my right foot, my eyes gleaming.

The flow of magic that had been scattering repeatedly began to coalesce once more, gathering within my body.

Weeeeee!

Instantly, a black Aura enveloped me.

The activation of the Iron Body of Supreme Energy.

* * *

Serena questioned her own perception.

Just now, Lee Cheol, within the Light Curtain, had clearly released Aura.

‘How?’

The method was surprisingly simple.

The Light Curtain was an ultimate technique designed to disrupt an opponent’s magic structure, scattering its framework.

It possessed several vulnerabilities, but within such a confined space, and against an opponent experiencing the technique for the first time, she was confident in its effectiveness.

But.

Kwaaaaaang!

Jet-black Aura erupted from Lee Cheol’s entire body.

The Aura particles composing the Light Curtain scattered instantly due to the sheer volume of Aura.

Observing Lee Cheol, Serena quickly understood how he had overcome the Light Curtain.

‘Could it be… that he’s manipulating dozens of Auras simultaneously?’

Releasing Aura, and as soon as that Aura scatters, releasing new Aura again. If the framework of that Aura scatters, he immediately releases Aura again.

He repeated that infinitely.

The immense magical power required to sustain that process was unbelievable, but the ability to delicately manipulate such a vast amount of Aura was beyond anything she had witnessed in someone of the same age.

‘Besides, no matter how high the level, it takes time to convert magic into Aura, but without a moment’s hesitation…!’

Serena’s eyes widened.

‘Could this person be the one from the prophecy…?’

It was at that precise moment.

Serena saw the sword strike aimed directly at her and doubted her senses.

‘When did he get here!’

Whoosh!

He was clearly 10 meters away, but suddenly, Lee Cheol’s figure was right in front of her.

“Kuh!”

Kwaaaang!

Serena hastily raised her shield.

This shield was also a masterpiece-grade piece of equipment.

She believed she could withstand at least one strike.

Crackle!

But she couldn’t block even a single blow.

No, the shield itself withstood the force.

However, the leather straps securing the shield to Serena’s arm were completely torn off by the powerful strike, causing her to cry out.

But it’s alright.

The opponent is expending Aura like water to negate the Light Curtain, and she has already completed the preparation for the Holy Sky Strike and only needs to unleash it.

“Haaaaap!”

Kwarurururung!

The air exploded like a bomb as the mace, infused with golden Aura, was swung.

This ultimate technique, imbued with the power of a holy artifact that shatters defenses, could never be blocked!

But.

Whoosh! Kwaaaang!

Her mace only sliced through the afterimage of the black Aura that Lee Cheol had released.

The force, unable to find a point of impact, detonated in the air, creating a powerful whirlwind.

Swish-.

And a sharp sword touched her neck.

Lee Cheol, looking somewhat weary, extended his sword and exhaled, ‘Hoo!’

“The winner is, the hunter from South Korea! Kim Cheol-hyun!”

The referee’s announcement echoed belatedly.

Serena stared blankly at Lee Cheol, her eyes wide and her lips slightly parted.

“I learned something. Ms. Serena.”

Seeing Lee Cheol’s bright smile, Serena could only blink.

* * *

Even though the Grand Melee is not yet fully established, matches are not scheduled consecutively on the same day.

As soon as I finished the match, I rested my magic system, which was strained due to excessive magic consumption, and was able to meet Serena at a cathedral a short distance from the arena.

“The security here is solid. No force would dare to act rashly here.”

I nodded, surveying the surroundings.

‘The cathedral itself emanates magical power… If an impious group were to enter, there would be an immediate response.’

Whether they had moved people in advance, there were no signs of tourists or clergy within the cathedral. Only Serena and I occupied this vast space.

“I apologize for arranging this meeting immediately after the match when you must be tired.”

Serena, who had displayed a fierce intensity during the battle, now seemed like an ordinary girl, albeit a bit reserved.

Her demeanor was so different that I might not have recognized her if I encountered her on the street.

“No. It’s okay. You must be tired too, Serena. More importantly, you mentioned that the reason you participated in this tournament was because of me, and I’d like to hear the full story.”

Serena nodded in response to my question.

“As I said before, to be precise, I didn’t come specifically to see Kim Cheol-hyun. Rather, I participated in the tournament to find someone, and that person turned out to be Kim Cheol-hyun.”

I narrowed my eyes, studying Serena for a moment.

When members of the Papal State make such statements, there’s usually a deeper reason.

“Was there a prophecy from one of the Saintesses?”

Serena’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, and she nodded.

“That’s correct. You knew.”

There are currently two Saintesses within the Papal State, or rather, the Vatican.

Currently, Serena’s teacher and the leader of the Paladins, representing the nation’s military strength, Saintess Christina.

The other is Saintess Sophia, the possessor of the Eye of Prophecy, one of the Mystic Eyes, and said to be the incarnation of the Virgin Mary.

-Sophia Serezard was born at the end of the Great War, and she is famous for wandering around the battlefield and dedicating herself until her body became disabled due to her Mystic Eyes.

-Her Mystic Eyes are known to only see the near future, but for some reason, she sometimes makes prophecies about the very distant future.

I recalled the information about the Saintesses that Valerie had shared while explaining the Mystic Eyes.

“Saintess Sophia made a prophecy during her dawn prayers. According to that prophecy, I was sent to find Warrior Kim Cheol-hyun.”

“Hmm……”

A Saintess’s prophecy concerning me.

“What exactly was the prophecy? Would you be willing to share it with me?”

“Of course.”

Serena cleared her throat softly and began to speak.

“In the place where the dreams of many stars gather [referring to the Grand Melee], an envoy wearing a black ring [likely referring to Mujin] will appear, sweeping across the night sky, and he will clear away the night and bring light.”

…….

As expected, it was a rather cryptic prophecy.

“The dreams of the stars refer to the Grand Melee. At least, I expected that. And……”

“The color of my Aura is similar to the color of the night sky.”

The black ring is Mujin.

Then what does it mean to clear away the night and bring light?

“Would you like to take a look at this?”

Sensing my questioning gaze, Serena retrieved a photo from within her clothing.

The background depicted the interior of a marble building.

I had never been there, but judging from the stained glass and sculptures, it appeared to be a place associated with the Papal State.

And in the center of the photo, there was a blurry, dark shape that seemed to have moved quickly.

“Although there are no exact records of when it started, the thing in the photo is an object that has been sealed within the nation for a long time.”

“An object?”

It looked like a moving entity, but it’s actually an object?

“It cannot be captured by any modern video equipment. The same applies to magical equipment. This was the clearest picture we could obtain.”

“So, what is the connection between this object and the prophecy?”

I returned the photo to Serena.

“The envoy of this prophecy is the one who will eliminate that ‘object,’ according to the Saintess. In other words, Kim Cheol-hyun is the envoy of prophecy who will deal with that object.”

Serena stated.

“Therefore, I ask you. Would you consider visiting the Papal State in the near future?”

* * *

After that, I asked a few more questions, and Serena answered as politely and sincerely as possible.

I observed her for a moment, tilting my head.

“But why did you participate in the Grand Melee yourself?”

“Yes?”

“Couldn’t you have contacted me by sending someone else or something?”

“Ah, that’s……”

Serena hesitated, as if unsure whether to reveal the information, then slowly spoke.

“The headquarters instructed me to approach you with utmost courtesy, so as not to offend the envoy of prophecy. Besides… Kim Cheol-hyun’s information was restricted, so there was no other reliable way to contact you.”

It’s the work of the Black Turtle Association [a group specializing in intelligence and security].

I had requested them in advance to block information about my dual identity, and it seemed they had done their job so thoroughly that it even deceived the Papal State’s intelligence agency.

That’s right.

‘Still, she seems to know a little too much information to have just come on a mission… Ah, that’s right.’

Her status is a prospective Paladin who has not yet been ordained, but her teacher is none other than Saintess Christina, who is considered a cardinal.

It’s not surprising that she received privileged information.

“Is Serena carrying out this mission alone?”

“No. Since prophecies always have room for interpretation, personnel are being deployed not only to the Grand Melee but also to other locations that seem to fit the prophecy. I happened to participate in the Grand Melee because the circumstances aligned.”

“I see.”

I replied, pausing to consider the situation.

‘A prophecy, an invitation from the nation……’

While I was pondering, Serena noticed my expression and carefully spoke.

“Although I am only a trainee Paladin due to the requirements of this Grand Melee, the nation has never taken Kim Cheol-hyun lightly. I hope you are not offended.”

Serena seemed to have misinterpreted my expression, assuming I was displeased.

I smiled.

‘How could I be offended when a prospective Paladin, a disciple of the Saintess, came to visit?’

I was simply a little concerned.

I had been planning to visit the Vatican sometime anyway.

If it’s a formal invitation, it couldn’t be better.

After organizing my thoughts, I spoke.

“It seems difficult right now.”

“Ah……”

Serena slightly opened her mouth, her eyebrows drooping like a deflated balloon.

I continued immediately.

“It doesn’t mean I won’t go. There is a condition. I would like you to convey it directly to the nation. If they accept the conditions, I will visit you soon.”

I stated my requirements.

Serena’s eyes widened at my words.