Chapter 228
"Don’t... be ridiculous...!" Gotheir’s eyes flashed brilliantly for an instant.
Simultaneously, a divine aura surged from his entire body and then vanished just as quickly.
Boom!
The shockwave pushed Ian’s greatsword away, engulfing his entire body.
I knew this would happen.
Thinking quickly, Ian released the hilt of the greatsword as it was knocked away and lowered his stance. The red divine power that had been dissipating from his body in the explosion of light flared up intensely for a moment. His feet, which had been momentarily lifted, firmly planted themselves back on the ground.
Boom!
Ian pushed against the shockwave and charged toward Gotheir.
"...!" Gotheir’s eyes, shining white through his visor, widened in surprise.
Ian’s right fist drove into him.Crack!
Gotheir’s head snapped back. It wasn’t just his head; his entire body was pushed back. Ian, who had sprung forward, extended his left arm swiftly.
Thunk.
His hand grabbed Gotheir’s forearm. Ian’s right arm tensed once more.
Shhh— Boom!
His fist, slicing through the remnants of the divine aura, struck Gotheir’s visor again, this time driving him obliquely into the ground. Gotheir’s head and shoulders were buried among the debris, his lower body lifting into the air.
Crunch.
With Gotheir’s helmet pinned to the ground, Ian finally raised his fist again.
The part of Gotheir’s visor that had been struck by Ian’s punch was deeply dented. Through the dent, Gotheir’s dimly flickering eyes looked up at Ian.
Crackle.
At that moment, the magic stones embedded in Gotheir’s plate armor simultaneously flashed and dimmed. Almost simultaneously, a wave rippled through Ian’s reddish eyes.
Boom!
A surge of magical energy erupted from Ian’s left hand which was still gripping Gotheir’s arm.
Crackle.
The magic coursing through Gotheir’s armor became chaotic. The magic stones flickered erratically.
"...?!" Gotheir’s eyes filled with shock.
This is what you call a magic backflow.
Ian thought to himself, as ash-gray mana already swirled in his eyes.
Whoosh!
A wind surged around Ian’s entire body, quickly gathering and swirling around his raised fist. Yellow and red remnants of divinity were drawn into the vortex of wind enveloping his fist. With a powerful motion, Ian struck down.
Crack!
Ian’s Wind Blade-covered fist collided with Gotheir’s face. Divine energy surged from Gotheir’s entire body, and the shockwave from Ian’s punch swept through the area.
A faltering voice emanated from under Ian’s fist.
"A... mage? Is this... your true form...?"
Even buried among the debris, Gotheir did not lose consciousness. Without a word, Ian withdrew his fist from Gotheir’s face.
"The superhuman of the North and the Agent of Platinum Dragon... is… a mage...!"
The dented visor came off with Ian’s fist, revealing Gotheir’s broken front teeth and shattered nose. Despite coughing up blood, a smile spread across Gotheir’s face. His bright yellow eyes gleamed oddly.
"I was... right...! You’ve deceived everyone until now—"
Smash!
Before the words were finished, Gotheir’s face was slammed by a fist. Ian, who had just knocked away the face guard, struck again with his fist.
What is this madman going on about?
He muttered to himself as he drove his fist down to the end.
Whoosh!
Just as he felt the sensation of Gotheir’s skull cracking, a blinding light leaked from between his fingers. A massive amount of divine energy engulfed Gotheir. The circle etched in the center of his chest plate began to glow brilliantly in an instant. A chill ran down Ian’s spine.
Oh, shit.
Ian’s eyes widened as he urgently crossed his arms in front of his face.
Boom!
A pillar of divine light exploded from Gotheir’s body.
***
Blinded by the dazzling explosion of divinity, Philip reflexively closed his eyes as he supported Mev. The thunderous roar of collapsing buildings soon reverberated through Philip’s entire body. Raising his shield close to his face, Philip slowly opened his eyes. Amidst the rising dust from the crumbling buildings, a massive pillar of light stood out clearly.
Crash!
A loud noise continued from the opposite side of the pillar. Instinctively turning his head, Philip saw rising dust and the debris of buildings. It was clear that the dust clouds were created by the collapsing buildings. Although he hadn’t seen it, Philip instinctively knew that Ian was responsible for the destruction of those buildings.
Crunch!
At that moment, another loud noise erupted from the nearby avenue. Philip, his shoulders twitching, turned his head in the direction of the sound. Something large and long was lodged diagonally in the corner of the avenue. It was the Legion Commander’s Greatsword that Ian used. It seemed to have been flung there by the explosion.
"Could it be... Lord Ian...?" Philip finally began to gasp for breath.
Mev, who still had her eyes closed, asked, "What about Ian?"
"A p-pillar of divine light erupted. It’s a much bigger explosion than the one that engulfed you and Charlotte. I think Ian was caught in it..."
"What...?"
Mev’s questioning voice was drowned out by a thunderous roar. It wasn’t Ian. Philip’s eyes widened as he quickly turned his head. Amid the divine light scattering in all directions, he saw a figure staggering to its feet.
"Oh, Lu Solar..." Philip sighed as he recognized the figure through the dissipating dust cloud.
The magic stones embedded in Gotheir’s full plate armor flickered as if they might go out at any moment. The circle at the center of his breastplate still shone brightly. But what caught Philip’s attention the most was Gotheir’s face.
His helmet had been shattered, revealing his face, which was a mess. Blood streamed from his mouth, and his nose was crushed. Most disturbing of all were his eyes. One eyeball appeared to have burst, leaving only a glowing yellow light emanating from between his blood-stained eyelids.
"Finally, the true nature of the false prophet is revealed. Those who mimic miracles can never be divine emissaries...! If I can punish the deceiver, I am willing to sacrifice this insignificant life...! Worship before the radiant light!"
He shouted incomprehensible words, raising his two-handed sword high. Despite everything, the divine energy surrounding his entire body shone brilliantly.
"Oh Goddess... why would you bestow such great grace upon someone like him...?" Philip muttered blankly.
Blinking unfocused eyes, Mev murmured. "That man is willing to sacrifice his life for his mission. That determination must have drawn the Goddess’s grace. Even if it stems from fanaticism... he has already surpassed his limits..."
Boom—
At that moment, dust rose from the opposite side of the city. A burning red trail quickly stretched across the alley. Gotheir turned his head toward the approaching trail.
"Ah... now I can see clearly.... chaos..." He gripped his sword, raising it above his head.
The surging divine light enveloped the blade. As Gotheir turned to face Ian, he looked like a divine avatar wielding a sword of light.
"Only the radiant light can eradicate darkness...."
If only his lips weren’t twisted into such a bizarre smile.
"... Let there be light."
With a single word echoing like a bell, he swung his sword down.
Swoosh—
The light on the sword shot out in a straight line. The Barrier of Light surged forward in a straight line, like a beam, accompanied by a silent shockwave.
"...!" Even with his eyes closed reflexively, the brightness made Philip’s eyes tear up.
Rumble! Boom-boom-boom—
Amidst the thunderous noise of collapsing buildings, an ominous cracking sound was mixed in. Philip, shielding his eyes with his shield, barely managed to open his teary eyes.
"...!" His eyes soon widened in shock.
Beyond the crumbling Barrier of Light, a blue flash extended in a jagged arc like a saw blade. The sequence of events that had just occurred played out clearly in Philip’s mind: the instinctive evasive leap upon sensing a presence, followed by the release of divine energy from the Stern Goddess to gain momentum.
Crash.
A blue trail followed like a tail over Ian’s head, reaching toward Gotheir.
Gotheir extended his left hand almost simultaneously.
Swoosh—
A white Barrier of Light blossomed in front of him, with the blue trail crashing down upon it.
Crackle.
Blinding flashes followed.
Tir En’s divine energy was cleaving the Barrier of Light from its edge. Ian, twisting his body in midair, seized the opportunity and leaped through the gap. This movement was possible not just because of the Blessing of Battle; the wind enveloping his body propelled him forward.
Crash.
The diminishing blue trail formed a circle, then drove straight into Gotheir’s neck.
Crunch!
However, Gotheir’s plate armor, imbued with divine energy, could not be cut even by the Goddess’ sharp blade. The blue divine energy merely scraped and slid across the surface of his armor. The blue trail, lodged in the ground opposite, spun and bounced away.
Crash!
Then Ian and Gotheir collided. Their intertwined figures disappeared beyond the debris.
Roar—
A tremendous noise that shook the surroundings erupted. Then, once again. Blinding light surged up.
Roar!
And once more.
"Huh...." Philip’s mouth finally hung open in a daze.
Even with his eyes now those of a divine apostle, the battle unfolding before him seemed utterly unreal. It could easily be believed to be a fight between superhumans—no, demigods.
Tap-tap-tap—
Footsteps echoed in his ears. Another purifier, Nasser, who had been standing dazed like him, was now running toward the debris, abandoning the horses.
Watching him disappear swiftly, Philip finally spoke."... I think I need to go as well."
"Alright. I’ll follow you soon. Please be careful. Getting caught up in this could cause serious injury." Mev released her arm from Philip’s shoulder.
She staggered for a moment but did not fall.
"Please take care of my lord, Thesa! Follow slowly! I’ll try to prevent any possible mishaps...!" Philip shouted to Thesaya and Charlotte before running off, forcing strength into his trembling legs.
***
Crash!
The Barrier of Light that had formed in front of Gotheir’s face shattered under the falling punch. Ian’s fists were bare now. His gloves and wrist guards had been destroyed, unable to withstand his power.
Are you at your limit?
Ian glared at Gotheir’s exposed face and reflexively slammed his fist down.
Bang!
The deafening sound that erupted was hard to believe had come from flesh meeting flesh. Yet Gotheir’s face remained uncrushed. The divine energy was keeping his body intact. However, it wouldn’t last forever.
"The great... light..." Gotheir was already unconscious.
The words he muttered were merely the product of his subconscious. Ian was reminded of the fanatics he had seen in games.
But I hadn’t expected him to lose his mind midway through.
If his companions hadn’t weakened him and if Karha hadn’t bestowed his blessing, this fight would have been much more difficult.
In any case...
Ian raised his fist again.
I’ve reached the level where I can take down even these guys.
Taking a deep breath, Ian tightened his fist. He had to finish this quickly.
Otherwise—
At that moment, a hexagonal force field emerged, covering Gotheir’s face. In fact, it had multiple layers.
"... You have won, Sir Ian." A voice came from atop the debris. It was Nasser.
What the fuck is he saying?
Grinding his teeth, Ian swung his fist.
Clang!
But his fist only shattered two layers of the force field. A third layer remained, and as Ian raised his fist again, another layer formed immediately.
"Please stop, Sir Ian. I accept your terms."
Ian finally looked up sharply at the voice.
"Get rid of this, now."
"Apologies, but he is both my comrade and senior." Nasser approached as he spoke.
The lining of his robe shimmered with a golden light, and under his hood, his eyes gleamed with divine power.
"I am convinced you are not a corrupted one. So please, stop. If you do not trust me, I will disarm completely."
His words seemed sincere as a longsword and shield fell from the scabbard under his robe.
Ian’s frown deepened.
"That’s none of my concern. Remove this immediately. Do you have any idea what condition he’s in right now?"
"He’s received enough grace to blind him. But like his stubborn nature, for a long time, he has...?" Nasser’s voice trailed off.
Beyond the multiple layers of the force field, an ominous light was spreading. Gotheir’s eyes, nose, and mouth were all emitting a bright white light, pulsating with immense divine energy, enough to make every hair on Ian’s body stand on end.
"Damn it...! Maximize the force field!" Ian shouted, squeezing his eyes shut as he threw himself sideways.
A blue magical barrier enveloped his entire body. Nasser, instinctively following Ian’s command, also crouched down.
Bang!
A flash of light exploded from Gotheir’s entire body. Ian’s vision, even as he lay face down, turned completely white. It seemed the force field was of no use. Despite closing his eyes, it felt no different from keeping them open.
Am I going to die like this...?
Thinking, Ian soon realized he felt no pain. In fact, he felt no sensation at all. Only his consciousness remained sharp, and everything around him was blindingly bright.
"...!?"
Then, beyond the light, he sensed someone watching him.