Chapter 180: The Witch Behind the Mask 7

Two holy knights emanated auras before Baiken’s eyes, having summoned phantasmal beasts to aid them – one resembling a large hound, the other a diminutive bear.

Witnessing their manifestations, Baiken instinctively tensed.

‘Aura materialization – an ability only attainable by highly advanced holy knights, equivalent to a superior mage’s prowess…’

That these seemingly unremarkable foes possessed such formidable skills had been entirely unanticipated.

Moreover, they now blatantly threatened to apprehend her.

As an initial probe while gaining the offensive initiative, Baiken amplified the magical energies infused within her gauntlets.

-Drrrrrr…-

“Haaaaaah…”

The very earth trembled from the immense convergence of power as her azure-studded gauntlets flushed crimson.

“If you mongrels deem yourselves so mighty… Then withstand this assault!”

With her magic violently undulating as if on the verge of detonating, Baiken adopted a stance before unleashing her gauntlet-focused energies towards the knights.

“Hwaaaaaaagh!!”

Accompanied by a thunderous roar, her strike erupted forth in a cataclysmic shockwave that momentarily staggered her opponents.

-KWAKWAKWANGGG!!-

An earth-shattering explosion resounded as Baiken’s overwhelming assault surged forward with devastating force – her signature Gigastrike technique.

By condensing her magical might into an amplified punch, she could obliterate boulders the size of houses with a single blow.

This ultimate technique, singularly pursuing raw destructive power, bore formidable might.

Though requiring preparation and exacting a physical toll with each use, it excelled at instantly annihilating foes when it connected.

‘Even archmages would be instantly incapacitated by a direct hit. Surely these holy knights cannot withstand it either…’

Amidst the thunderous conflagration, Baiken anticipated victory.

Meanwhile, her subordinates recoiled from the cataclysmic shockwaves.

“Truly, Lady Baiken’s Gigastrike is fearsome…”

“No matter their repute as holy knights, surviving such an onslaught seems inconceivable.”

As the dust gradually settled from Baiken’s devastating strike – an attack far exceeding ordinary capabilities which would have utterly vaporized any conventional foe – her soldiers unconsciously voiced their expectations:

“Did… Did it defeat them?”

Yet as the obscuring haze fully dissipated, the sight that emerged elicited shock and dismay:

“! This… This cannot be…”

“…Fufufu…”

“How foolish…”

The holy knights remained intact, their mocking laughter ringing out as the soldiers’ faces contorted with horrified disbelief.

“I-Impossible… Completely unscathed…?”

“But how? She withstood Lady Baiken’s full-power strike directly…”

Baiken too felt an icy chill race down her spine at their implausibly pristine state – as if her strike had never connected.

‘This cannot be… No matter their prowess, how could they – and their summoned aura-beasts – emerge completely unharmed?’

While anticipating their elite stature would preclude outright defeat, Baiken had never fathomed their absolute imperviousness to harm.

In this unforeseen crisis, the normally unflappable Baiken experienced genuine terror for the first time as primal dread gripped her being.

“Did I not warn you? We holy knights are the bane of mages’ existence.”

“No matter your sorcerous might, against the sacred aura – Divine Providence incarnate – you are but feeble infants flailing impotently.”

“Kukuku…”

The arrogant knights’ mocking tones grated as they maneuvered their aura-constructs into offensive stances, seeming primed to retaliate.

Confronted by adversaries immune to her magic, Baiken envisioned her own grisly fate unfolding.

‘To be captured by such fiends in this forsaken place…? No, I cannot allow that… Better to end my own life than suffer such an ignoble future that would only bring anguish to my siblings and parents…’

As her mind entertained that ultimate recourse to avoid an unacceptable destiny, a figure interjected, shielding Baiken.

The masked witch Freddie Mars, dispatched from the Dragonian Empire.

Momentarily forgetting her presence, the revelation rekindled Baiken’s flagging hopes.

‘That’s right… This woman is a 7th-rank mage, is she not? Reportedly exceeding even Father’s prowess in sheer combat ability…’

Recalling Freddie’s formidable reputation dissipated some of Baiken’s trepidation, though she harbored no illusions regarding easily prevailing.

These monstrosities, dismissively shrugging off her full-power strike, would not yield effortlessly – even to a 7th-rank mage of Freddie’s caliber.

Nevertheless, amidst this dire peril, Baiken yearned for Freddie to somehow overcome this ordeal.

To possess some means of surmounting this crisis.

As if responding to Baiken’s unvoiced plea, Freddie deliberately stepped forward, extending her hand towards the holy knights as Baiken watched from behind…

Having successfully deflected Santana’s sister’s assault, Nune and Tine arrogantly sneered while maintaining an air of casualness.

However, beneath this facade, they had experienced a fleeting yet chilling terror.

‘Shit… I thought we were dead for sure…’

‘Honestly, I nearly soiled myself. Never imagined she could unleash such overwhelming power head-on…’

The mage’s strike had harbored astounding might beyond their expectations.

Only their innate elemental advantage as holy knights had enabled them to withstand that catastrophic onslaught, yet even so, their hearts had plummeted with visceral dread.

Had they lacked their elite holy knight statuses, bordering the exalted Twelve Peers…

Their bodies would have likely been atomized without a trace.

‘Enduring such a strike is unprecedented… Truly, the aura renders us nigh-invincible against magic…’

‘Well…in any case, we’ve overcome the gravest peril. All that remains is apprehending that wench to present to General Tilly. Surely he will bestow a handsome reward upon us for capturing a Bohemian sovereign’s daughter…’

Shrugging off their lingering unease, Nune and Tine advanced to apprehend Santana’s sister.

Until their steps faltered as another figure obstructed their path.

‘Hm?’

‘What’s this…?’

A masked mage adopted a combat stance, seemingly intent on confronting them directly.

This prompted derisive scorn within the emboldened knights in the wake of their earlier triumph.

‘This mage dares face us directly, without an inkling of fear?’

‘She must have lost all sensibility out of sheer terror. Regardless of any antics, they shall avail her naught against our might.’

Utterly confident following their recent victory, Nune and Tine resolved to swiftly dispatch this foolhardy, masked interloper oblivious to her impending demise.

In that moment, unaware of the witch’s contemplations beneath her guise…

‘A witch slays holy knights.’