Chapter 145 – The Saintess and Her Guardian (23)

Read ​on KatReadingCafe

The angel’s power was far more formidable than Vempir had anticipated.

The sheer destructive force of holy energy alone was impressive, but the angel’s combat assistance elevated Vempir’s strength by several levels.

[Attack detected. Targeting the right flank in three seconds.]

BOOM!!!

Edel kicked off the ground, tearing through the air with impossible speed.

Even with Vempir’s enhanced senses, she couldn’t track his movements, but the angel relayed the information before she needed to.

[Emergency protection mode activated.]

Before Vempir could even react, the angel’s wings intercepted Edel’s blade, stopping it just before it could pierce her side.

Demonic energy and holy power clashed, creating a stark boundary between black and white, an absolute line that should never have been crossed.

“Aren’t you tired yet? If futility had a face, it would look exactly like yours after ten failed attempts.”

“Annoying.”

Edel clicked his tongue and retreated.

Normally, two or three swings of his sword would have been enough, but the Saintess’s power refused to allow his attacks to land.

On the other hand, even grazing the holy energy sent painful shocks through his body.

Infuriating.

“Isn’t this power magnificent?”

Vempir ran her fingers along the angel’s wings, smiling leisurely.

“Attack or defense—no matter how fast or strong the Black Knight’s strikes are, they’re useless if they can’t reach me.”

“That isn’t your power. It belongs to the Saintess.”

“Have you forgotten? Vampires can wield the strength of their thralls. The Saintess is mine now—so this is my power. All thanks to that witch.”

Internally, Vempir thanked Estelle.

Had her original body been sealed or her thralls killed, she would have been helpless.

But the Saintess’s timely appearance—and Estelle’s foolish mercy—had been her salvation.

Now, she had stolen the Saintess’s body and claimed this immense power.

Revenge was just a bonus.

Vempir swayed gracefully, as if dancing, then suddenly covered her mouth in mock surprise.

“Oh? Were you curious about the Saintess and Guardian’s pure romance too? Hehe. No need to worry—as my thrall, she’ll stay with me until death.”

She had seen him cheering for the Saintess while hiding inside the Guardian.

She wanted to show she wasn’t so cruel as to deny her future husband his hobbies.

“Pure romance?”

“Isn’t it? I don’t know how long humans live, but compared to an immortal vampire, it’s pitiful. If you devote yourself to me, we can be together far longer than any human couple. Isn’t that true love?”

Huh. So that’s pure romance?

Maybe staying together for eternity counted.

Estelle had said there were many forms of love.

“Don’t taint the word with your mouth. It’s disgusting.”

But Edel didn’t accept Vempir’s reasoning. He raised his sword.

He still didn’t understand pure romance in detail—but he knew whatever Vempir was describing wasn’t it.

“That isn’t pure romance. Estelle would say the same.”

The kind of love Estelle wanted to see wasn’t like this.

That was why she had gone out of her way to give the Saintess and Guardian three days.

As Edel gathered demonic energy, his armor darkened—living up to his title as the Black Knight.

The energy took physical form, seeping through the gaps in his armor.

His crimson eyes burned brighter, and his sword drowned in an even deeper black.

“Still coming at me? How disappointing. Then I suppose I’ll start fighting back too.”

Vempir remained unfazed.

Even if he was the strongest Heavenly King, she had proven ten times over that holy energy rendered him powerless.

“I won’t kill you. Estelle wanted you sealed—not dead.”

“Kukuku. Such blu—”

THUD.

Before she could finish, Edel’s sword pierced her right shoulder.

…How?

She knew she couldn’t follow his speed visually—but the angel hadn’t even warned her this time!

[Attack detected. Targeting right shoulder.]

The angel’s voice came too late.

That meant Edel had moved faster than the angel could perceive.

“I’ve got the hang of it now. Now I know how much speed I need.”

“Ghk—!”

“If you can’t even react to this, how could you have killed Estelle? She countered attacks faster than this.”

When Vempir tried to retaliate, Edel yanked his sword free and retreated.

Holy energy surged toward him, a direct hit would be fatal, but to Edel’s heightened senses, it was child’s play to dodge.

Right. Estelle’s magic cannon was faster and deadlier.

Somehow, Estelle had become Edel’s benchmark for everything.

For pure romance.

For strength.

For the entire world.

When had it started?

Maybe when he first learned to cook.

Or when she first called him Edel.

Perhaps from the very moment they met.

“Angel’s power, huh? Not bad—but in the hands of a weakling, it’s still weak.”

Her fundamentals were sloppy. Speed. Tactics. All lacking.

“Ugh—! Angel, do your damn job!”

Vempir cursed as Edel’s blade found her left shoulder.

While the angel healed her, Edel watched patiently, the calm of a true warrior who knew she could never match him.

“As expected of the Black Knight. Only someone like you is worthy of my love.”

Once healed, Vempir smirked.

“Now, let’s see you dodge this…!”

She thrust her hand forward, unleashing holy energy.

The energy struck the cylindrical barrier surrounding them, absorbed into it before erupting in a blinding light.

A barrage of radiant spears rained down.

Edel clicked his tongue.

“If you can’t aim, you just attack randomly?”

Not just from above—holy energy surged from all directions, a relentless assault.

Dodging was easy.

He avoided the first volley from above, then tracked the rest.

Two from the left. Three from the right. Five from the front.

Despite his armor, he moved with acrobatic precision, slipping past each strike.

The final attack came from his blind spot—but he deflected it with his sword.

Even if he mocked Vempir as weak, he couldn’t deny the destructive potential of holy energy.

The shockwaves alone sent him skidding back, just in time for another wave to converge on him.

Using the momentum, he kicked off the barrier and lunged at Vempir.

“Did you think I’d fall for the same trick?”

He thrust at the same speed—but Vempir was gone.

Her mocking voice echoed as another surge of holy energy crashed down.

Edel parried with his sword, scanning for her.

She wasn’t in front, behind, or above, where the energy still rained.

Then—

His eyes dropped to the ground.

A shadow moved unnaturally.

“There.”

“Too slow.”

As he gathered demonic energy to strike, the shadow convulsed, holy energy, demonic power, and blood magic merging into one.

A single beam of condensed energy shot out, faster than Edel could perceive.

His right arm, still gripping his sword, was severed clean off.

It hit the ground with a dull thud.

“The same technique I used to bisect the witch. Impressed? Holy energy, demonic power, and blood magic—my masterpiece.”

Vempir emerged from the shadow, picking up Edel’s arm and shaking it like a toy.

He hadn’t even reacted.

If she had aimed for his head, he’d be nothing more than a twitching doll by now.

Strong.

For that one moment, Vempir had surpassed him.

Yet, he felt none of the thrill he did against true power, against Estelle.

“Even after losing an arm, you’d keep fighting? Stubborn.”

As Edel gathered energy again, Vempir sighed dramatically.

“I will.”

“Why? What reason do you have? Haven’t I proven I’m stronger?”

“You stink. Estelle would hate it. That’s reason enough.”

Estelle. Estelle. Estelle.

Vempir was beyond irritated.

He was utterly obsessed.

She was stronger now.

The witch was dead.

Yet he still chanted her name.

“You said you wouldn’t kill me? I’ll return the favor. Limbs are unnecessary for making children.”

Three energies gathered in her palm—white, black, and crimson.

Just as she prepared to fire—

Edel’s armor dissolved, the energy retreating to his chest.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Are you really sure you killed Estelle?”

“How many times must I say—!?”

“I smell fruit. Sweet. Very sweet.”

There was no wind—the barrier prevented it.

Yet Edel caught the scent of sugary fruit drifting through the air.

CRACK—!!!

The indestructible barrier shuddered.