Chapter 745

Chapter 745

Decide. (2)

Ilaniel gradually felt that she was gaining the upper hand.

Of course, it was only by the thickness of a sheet of paper. If she let her guard down, the tide could be turned at any moment.

But for Ilaniel, even if she and her opponent were to fall at the same time, it would not be a loss. As long as she could drain the opponent’s strength, victory on her side was certain.

The human intruder named Astion had done a great deed. Now, even if she just stalled for time, she could win.

Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaaang!

Even so, she had no intention of fighting for days on end. Ilaniel released her energy even more powerfully.

She intended to rapidly exhaust her opponent’s strength and end the war.

As the tense battle continued, four Apostles who had been watching the fight from behind Rahmod suddenly rose into the sky.

Soon, they began to approach as if they intended to join the battle.

‘Are they trying to launch a pincer attack?’

Even while fighting, Ilaniel kept track of their movements. If they intervened, the situation would turn against her.

She had no choice but to summon the Elders to block the Apostles. No, the Elders were surely observing the situation and would act on their own.

Just as Ilaniel refocused on her battle with Rahmod—

Suddenly, Rahmod spoke in a low voice.

"……Become martyrs."

‘What?’

Sensing something was wrong, Ilaniel quickly backed away and raised her head. A terrifying force was pressing in from all directions.

"It can’t be……."

Kwooooooooom!

Before she could even grasp the situation, the four Apostles drew out every last bit of their life force and detonated their bodies.

An enormous surge of energy erupted, twisting the sky and making the air howl.

The energy left behind by the Apostles formed a massive veil that soared into the sky.

Fwaaah!

Then it turned into black rain, pouring down upon the battlefield.

The sheer pressure made it feel as though the blackened sky itself was collapsing.

"This is……."

Ilaniel’s eyes wavered. She had never imagined that the Salvation Church could unleash such a technique.

And that energy was not targeting her alone. It was flying toward the Elves who had been standing by in the rear as well.

‘I must stop it!’

It was a power drawn forth by the sacrifice of four High Priests, men even stronger than most Transcendents.

If left unchecked, the damage would be catastrophic. Only the strongest would have any chance of survival.

Ilaniel hastily summoned all her energy. The spirits and the forces of nature around her lent their strength.

Fwaaaaaaaaaah!

The immense energy Ilaniel unleashed spread outward, filling the sky. At that moment, the only thought in her mind was to protect her kin at any cost.

Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble!

The black energy rained down like a storm, clashing head-on with the barrier she had erected.

It was a force of destruction forged by Transcendents burning even their life force. Even Ilaniel could not completely ignore such an impact.

Though under tremendous pressure, she maintained the barrier. The price of pouring her energy into it weighed heavily on her body, but thanks to that, the other Elves were able to survive the rain of death.

Her determination to protect her kin was admirable. But on the battlefield, that noble resolve ultimately became a weakness.

"This is the end, Guardian of the World Tree."

Thud!

Rahmod’s blackened hand pierced Ilaniel’s abdomen.

In the final moment, Ilaniel twisted her body to avoid having her heart destroyed, but that alone was not enough to change the situation.

At this rate, Rahmod’s attack would completely pierce through her abdomen.

Rahmod strengthened the force in his hand.

But his attack did not go any deeper.

"Hm?"

Ghislain had appeared behind Ilaniel and swung his staff forcefully at Rahmod.

Kwaaang!

Rahmod was struck squarely in the face and staggered backward. Though it was not a fatal blow, the very fact that he had allowed the attack shook him.

‘What is this? Why didn’t I sense him?’

His full attention had been focused on Ilaniel. That may have left an opening, but to not detect an opponent closing in from this range and attacking—

‘It makes no sense.’

From what he had seen on the battlefield so far, he knew this human was strong. But not strong enough to be compared to himself.

Besides, the human’s mana seemed to be depleted, so Rahmod had not paid him any further mind. He had planned to kill him after finishing off Ilaniel.

And yet, this human had succeeded in attacking him. A chilling doubt crept through Rahmod’s heart.

‘……It must be a coincidence.’

Rahmod steadied himself and summoned his energy again.

Black energy spread outward, tearing the surrounding air as if grinding it to pieces. He now intended to kill both Ilaniel and Ghislain at once.

Ghislain grabbed Ilaniel and hurled her backward with all his might.

"Catch her! Heal her now!"

The Elders caught Ilaniel’s swiftly flying body. With looks of alarm, they poured all the surrounding natural energy into her wounds.

Ghislain could no longer spare a thought for Ilaniel. Rahmod’s fist was already flying toward him.

Fwaaaaaang!

Rahmod’s fist grazed over Ghislain’s head. Ghislain rolled to the side and barely avoided the shockwave.

Rahmod glanced at his own hand for a moment.

‘It wasn't a coincidence.’

He had deliberately closed in to attack and observe his opponent’s reaction.

The sense of wrongness had lasted only an instant, but he was certain now. That human had reached the realm of wielding the Power of Will, just as he himself had.

A realm attained by only four Prophets within the Salvation Church.

"Who are you?"

Ghislain grinned and replied.

"Everyone who has asked me that while fighting me ended up dead."

"……Insolent."

"Those who have said that probably ended up dead too."

Rahmod extended his hand. Black energy shot out from his palm.

Kwaang!

Ghislain raised his staff to block it, but the sheer force sent his body flying for a moment.

Because he hadn’t fully dispersed the force, a pain as though his bones were breaking shot through his arm.

And that wasn’t the end of it.

The energy Rahmod had fired didn’t dissipate; like a venomous snake, it relentlessly chased after Ghislain.

Snap!

In an instant, Ghislain’s body was cloaked in darkness and scattered into the air. Seeing this, Rahmod’s brow furrowed.

"This bastard……."

To dare use tricks before him.

He immediately extended his palm toward the empty space in mid-air.

Kwaaaaaang!

Ghislain, whose form had reassembled from the darkness, was blasted backward as if flung away. Rahmod exuded more energy and closed in at once.

Kwaaang!

Just by stomping the ground, Rahmod caused the earth to split deeply and explode outward.

Had Ghislain not twisted his body mid-leap, his spine would have been shattered. He rolled across the ground and quickly regained his stance.

‘Whew…… It’s still too difficult to face him right now.’

Though he was barely holding on by absorbing the death energy around him, it wasn’t nearly enough to contend with Rahmod.

Moreover, the energy he was currently absorbing was mixed with the mana of Black Mages.

Since Ghislain only used pure energy, accepting such a chaotic blend would inevitably lower his efficiency.

Still, there was no other way. He needed to replenish at least a bit of his depleted mana to keep moving.

‘I have to buy time.’

The Elders were healing Ilaniel’s wounds now. He had to hold out until she could rise again.

Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!

Rahmod unleashed black energy in rapid succession, attacking Ghislain. Even his simple attacks made the ground quake and rocks soar into the air.

Ghislain barely evaded each strike by scattering his body into shadows again and again.

Even as he did, he searched for an opening to counterattack. In brief moments, he attempted strikes and tried to slip behind Rahmod as a shadow.

But nothing worked against Rahmod. Too much of Ghislain’s strength had been spent saving the Elves.

In any case, buying a little time was his goal. Ghislain wasn’t discouraged and kept narrowly dodging Rahmod’s attacks while taunting him.

Rahmod’s fury simmered and grew with each passing moment.

‘Why is this man…….’

His opponent’s techniques astonished even Rahmod. Especially the skill of scattering his body into darkness was so refined and perfect that Rahmod coveted it.

Even so, he had the advantage in strength and speed. He should have easily overwhelmed and captured his opponent by now.

And yet, something felt wrong.

The opponent evaded Rahmod’s attacks by the slimmest of margins, as though he had foreseen them.

He did not waste a single ounce of his Power of Will. Every movement, every escape, every counterattack was calculated with precision.

‘This man is not normal. How can someone like this exist?’

He didn’t mean mentally unstable. He meant that the very existence itself was abnormal.

The longer the fight continued, the more Rahmod was seized by a strange sensation.

The opponent’s mastery was clearly on par with his own. To wield the Power of Will to such a degree meant that the man’s consciousness and soul were highly refined.

And yet, his body could not keep up with that level. His mana was depleted, and his body was visibly nearing its limits.

‘It’s a contradiction.’

How could a vessel incapable of bearing the weight of such willpower still manifest such techniques?

Furthermore, his combat skills were unusually exceptional.

The timing of the spells that flew in like daggers was impressive even in the midst of battle.

Those sharp and precise strikes aimed at vital points were not something one could master through mere experience or long training.

And it wasn’t just magic. The way he moved his body could only be called art. He was compensating for his lack of strength with supreme technique.

Rahmod hated to admit it, but he had no choice.

Had his own skills been even slightly less than they were now, he might have fallen to that ‘imperfect being.’

‘……A dangerous man.’

He was certain.

This opponent was an abnormal existence.

His mastery and body were out of sync, his mana and will operate separately. And yet he wielded every tool he had to the utmost limit.

‘I must kill him here!’

Though his mind and body were out of balance, and though he was exhausted, the man still stood against him. It was terrifying to think how far this human could go if he continued to grow.

No matter what it took, Rahmod had to kill him here and eliminate the threat.

Kwaaaaaang!

Rahmod gathered even more energy. Now, he judged Ghislain to be as great a threat as Ilaniel.

The energy he emitted dominated the surroundings. Ghislain felt the crushing pressure bearing down on him.

Crrrack!

His transformation into shadow slowed. Rahmod had determined that if he couldn’t match his opponent in technique, he would overwhelm him with sheer power.

Having seized control of the surrounding space, Rahmod attacked the scattering shadows once more.

Boom!

"Urgh!"

Struck in the chest, Ghislain coughed up blood and was thrown backward. But he immediately vanished again, scattering into shadows.

Rahmod’s lips twitched several times.

Even though he had struck cleanly, it had felt like hitting dull cotton. That bastard had somehow dispersed the impact even in the moment of being struck.

Rahmod, who had been about to blow away the entire area, paused.

‘The Great Chieftain of the Elves.’

He had yet to confirm Ilaniel’s condition. He couldn’t afford to waste his energy recklessly.

‘The Elders remain as well.’

Now, in terms of sheer strength, his side was lacking. All the Inquisitors except for Munaref, as well as the Black Mages, had been lost.

If he were to fall back now, they could be struck in turn. He had already expended a significant amount of power fighting Ilaniel.

‘Today, the Elves must all die, and the World Tree must fall!’

To fulfill the church’s long-cherished wish, it was something that had to be done.

He must not be swayed by emotion. Step by step, he had to crush them one by one.

Rahmod turned his head and shouted.

"Executor!"

Fwaaah!

Munaref appeared, wreathed in black mist, and prostrated himself before Rahmod.

Though he had been observing the situation until now, he had not dared to step forward. Because no order had been given.

Acting of his own accord would be tantamount to defying a Prophet.

Rahmod looked down at Munaref and spoke.

"I will finish off the Great Chieftain of the Elves. Kill that human without fail."

"I shall obey."

Fwaang!

Rahmod shot toward the Elven Elders. At the same time, Munaref exuded his energy and seized control of the surroundings.

He had already been tricked once by Ghislain’s techniques, so he was prepared this time.

Crrrack!

Munaref still had far more strength remaining than Ghislain. The energy he released spread out like a web, seeking Ghislain’s presence.

Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!

Munaref attacked boldly without holding back.

He knew that his opponent was skilled, but in his current exhausted state, Ghislain would be unable to launch any fatal attacks.

Just as Munaref expected, Ghislain was barely holding on by absorbing the surrounding energy. Even just evading was becoming increasingly difficult.

Drip.

Blood began to trickle from Ghislain’s nose. It was the result of having used the Power of Will several times with an already depleted body.

‘Not yet.’

Ghislain and Rahmod had clashed for only a brief moment. It was too little time for Ilaniel to fully recover.

But Ilaniel needed to move soon. If not, this war would end in defeat for the Elves.

Ghislain’s gaze deepened. He could neither pursue Rahmod nor defeat Munaref at this point.

In the worst-case scenario, he would have to escape with his comrades. They must not die here.

Fwaang! Fwaang! Fwaang!

"You rat bastard!"

Munaref furiously launched attack after attack at Ghislain. Ghislain, still bleeding from his nose, focused solely on evasion.

But he couldn’t keep this up forever. His body was gradually failing.

‘I must decide.’

Whether to admit that the tide could not be turned and retreat, or trust that Ilaniel would recover and endure a little longer.

Kwaang!

In a brief lapse of concentration, Munaref’s attack struck Ghislain directly. Ghislain barely managed to block it, but couldn’t withstand the impact and was driven back.

Blood rose in his throat, and his insides felt thoroughly battered. Now even blocking attacks had become a struggle.

Gritting his teeth, Ghislain turned his gaze toward where Rahmod and the Elven Elders were.

And in that moment, Ghislain’s eyes widened.

From that place……

Fwaaah!

An intense divine power he had never seen before was surging forth.

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