Ch.213Chapter 213 – Saint of Emiris (3)

‘What just happened?’

My body felt heavy.

At the same time, the halberd I was swinging slowed down considerably, and seeing this, the Saint spoke with slight surprise.

“Hmm, you can still move?”

After muttering that, the Saint simply stepped back to avoid my attack.

Then, whistling softly, she said.

“Impressive strength. Normally, one shouldn’t be able to move a finger. My, if I hadn’t been prepared, I might have been in trouble.”

Speaking leisurely, the Saint looked at me while slightly adjusting her hair.

My attack failed miserably, and as I tried to retrieve my weapon, my body was so heavy that the halberd eventually slipped from my hand.

-Clang!

“What…”

Despite the heaviness, my mouth moved well.

Hearing my question, the Saint quietly replied.

“It’s a holy art that binds heretics.”

“Binds?”

“A technique passed down among the Saints of the Order, to subdue those who defy God’s will… A method that uses holy power to weigh down heretics caught in the eyes of those who act on behalf of God’s will.”

After saying that, the Saint quietly lifted her veil.

Revealing red eyes surrounded by a bright silver glow, the Saint smiled.

“Be crushed by the greatness of God. Heretic.”

She subdues those condemned as heretics by weighing them down with holy power.

The heaviness in my body was caused by the overflowing holy power in this space pressing down on me.

But the details didn’t matter.

None of that mattered, because she was right in front of me.

“That face…”

I thought I’d heard that voice before.

It was a face I’d seen before.

‘But she was supposed to be dead…’

My mind began to spin in confusion at seeing a face that shouldn’t be possible.

According to Chris, this was definitely a face that was supposed to be dead.

A face that shouldn’t appear here.

“…Kara?”

Wondering if I might be mistaken, I unconsciously spoke her name.

The Saint reacted with slight surprise.

“Hmm? You knew my name?”

Kara said with a smile.

“That’s unexpected. Since I became a Saint, my name has been strictly concealed. I shouldn’t underestimate the information network of heretics.”

“But you definitely died…”

“Died?”

Kara made an incredulous expression and said.

“I’m honestly curious where you heard such nonsense.”

Soon she pointed her staff at me and said.

“I have never experienced death, heretic.”

My mind became confused again at Kara’s words.

Chris wouldn’t have lied.

‘But then who is this?’

However, I couldn’t ponder this question for long.

I could see holy power gathering at the tip of Kara’s staff.

“Whatever the case, my job is to subdue you and bring you to trial. Don’t blame me if it hurts.”

That was clearly going to be a powerful attack.

I quickly tried to deploy my light wings to escape, but…

“How foolish. Didn’t I tell you? The holy power around here will weigh you down.”

As if mocking my sluggish body, Kara smiled and said.

“As long as this Saint’s eyes are on you, you cannot be free from God’s majesty.”

“Damn it!”

Finally, the light on her staff grew sufficiently large.

Seeing that light, which would clearly explode or fly at me, I quickly surrounded my body with magical power.

Even as my body remained heavy, blue magical power quickly began to envelop me, and at the same time, the light Kara shot struck my body.

The hot light with mass began to evaporate my magical power, and eventually my body started to fly lightly through the air.

“Cough…!”

I crashed into the ground, and from the impact, something hot flowed out of my mouth along with air.

Glancing slightly, I could see blood that seemed to have come from my mouth flowing through the gaps in my armor.

“Damn, I need to get up…”

I tried to raise my body and assume a fighting stance again.

But my body was still heavy.

I tried to force myself up using my arms, but it seemed impossible to get up in time.

“Hmm, wouldn’t it be more comfortable to just lie on the ground?”

At that leisurely voice, I turned my head with effort and saw Kara walking toward me from a distance, her gaze fixed on me.

“I’m not talented at lullabies, so it would be nice if you’d just fall asleep on your own.”

“This…!”

Somehow trying to stand and fight back, I managed to half-raise my body.

And the next moment, someone lifted my body upright.

“Mr. Kay!!”

Sera was beside me, having apparently run with all her might to reach me as I was floating in the air.

Thanks to her strength, or perhaps because this technique didn’t affect her, I was able to stand up easily.

However, my body was still heavy, so I couldn’t move properly.

I tried to walk forcibly, but couldn’t plant my feet properly and was about to collapse again when Sera forcibly held me up.

“Mr. Kay? What…”

“…Is Sera alright?”

I had thought Sera would be weighed down too.

But Sera seemed fine.

‘…Is the holy power only pressing down on me?’

Come to think of it, earlier when my body was floating in the air, I felt no resistance.

It was because the holy power was only weighing down my body.

“Mr. Kay, are you okay?”

“Poison? Or did something happen to you…!”

Chris had approached at some point and was asking frantically.

Well, seeing me unable to move properly, it’s natural to think I might have been poisoned.

And hearing those words, Kara laughed and said.

“Do you think a Saint would use something as cowardly as poison? How absurd.”

Hearing Kara’s voice, Sera opened her eyes wide and turned her head.

And in a trembling voice, she quietly asked.

“Is… is it really Kara?”

Among us, there were three people who knew Kara: me, Chris, and Sera.

With a voice that couldn’t hide her bewilderment, Sera addressed Kara.

“The real Kara? Was there a fake Kara somewhere?”

Seemingly interested in the conversation, Kara slightly turned her head to look at Sera.

“By the way, who are you?”

“Don’t you remember me? Together, at the Origin Festival…”

“Origin Festival? I’ve never been to such a thing. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Kara spoke as if bewildered.

“First that heretic, now you… There seem to be quite a few people who know my face? I wonder how that is.”

After saying that, Kara let out a small “Ah” and then quietly said.

“It seems there really might be an impostor of me walking around.”

“An impostor?”

I asked, but Kara didn’t answer.

Instead, she just started muttering to herself.

“This is deplorable. A dragon heretic roaming around causing chaos, and now an impostor of me walking around.”

After saying that, Kara sighed deeply.

“But now, that’s coming to an end too.”

Kara pointed her staff at me and said.

“I’ll restrain you all, catch the impostor, and restore order. Isn’t that right?”

“You…”

Just as I was about to say something, something red flew toward Kara.

Kara quickly ducked to avoid it, and soon she could identify what it was.

“…You defeated the Red Order of Knights?”

Kara looked in the direction from which the knight had flown.

There, she saw Eina catching her breath alongside Eve.

“Huff… huff…”

Both seemed exhausted, breathing heavily.

Kara was about to say something to them when she heard something coming down from the air and stepped back again.

-Crash!

With a cloud of dust, Beatrice landed between me and Kara.

She stood up and said.

“Did you wait long?”

“Why are you so late?”

At my response, Beatrice just grinned and pulled her hat down low.

Looking at Beatrice, Kara addressed her.

“Don’t interfere, witch.”

“No. I owe your kind a lot of debts.”

The two glared at each other slightly.

Soon Kara spoke again.

“Do you think there will be no consequences for the Magic Tower if you mess with a Saint of the Order?”

“There won’t be. I’ve already dealt with those who would cause trouble.”

Beatrice glared at Kara and said.

“I’ve already driven out all the troublemakers from the Magic Tower along with Somnus. Are you out of touch with the world?”

“Do not insult Somnus.”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

Looking at the displeased Kara, Beatrice hardened her expression and said.

“He schemed behind the scenes and even contributed to summoning the Demon King. It’s more surprising that you’re defending him.”

“Demon King?”

“You don’t know?”

“This is ridiculous.”

In response to Beatrice’s question, Kara spoke as if dumbfounded.

“If the Demon King had appeared again, there’s no way I wouldn’t know about it.”

“…You really don’t know anything.”

Beatrice glared at Kara and said.

“Doesn’t Somnus tell you?”

“Why should I believe that he’s involved in the first place? It might just be a rumor you’re spreading to increase chaos in the world.”

“Well trained, aren’t you?”

At Beatrice’s sarcasm, Kara’s expression darkened slightly.

But returning to her original expression, Kara planted her staff on the ground.

“…Fine. The truth will come out when I capture you all for questioning.”

“Oh? By yourself?”

Beatrice assumed a combat stance.

Kara smiled and said.

“Then there would be no reason for me to have come with them.”

Soon her staff began to glow, and Kara quietly chanted.

“‘Grant us the power to defeat heresy.'”

The light exploded outward and flowed to the surrounding knights.

Soon, a silver aura began to envelop them, and the subdued knights of the Emiris Order began to rise one by one.

“…Enhancement magic.”

Beatrice quietly said.

“Just by looking, I can’t tell if there’s any meaningful difference from what other priests use?”

“Then why not test it directly?”

Taking Kara’s words as a signal, two members of the Red Order of Knights rushed at Beatrice.

Beatrice quickly used her chains to wrap around the first attacker and threw him far away beyond the trees. Then she immediately cast a spell toward the other enemy.

“Earth Needle!”

Stone needles erupted from the ground and flew toward the enemy.

But the Red Knight in the path…

Grabbed the attack with both hands, held it, and pulled it out.

“…I expected them to block it, but not to pull it out.”

Muttering quietly, Beatrice immediately jumped to the side, and where she had just been, the stone needle she had shot was now embedded.

Just as Beatrice was about to concentrate to prepare her next spell.

“Uwaaaaah!!”

“Huh?”

The Red Knight who had been thrown away earlier had returned.

Despite being thrown quite far, which should have taken time to return to the battle, he was already upon Beatrice.

“…Where did this strength come from!”

Beatrice complained loudly as she noticed the ground deeply indented beneath the knight’s feet.

She immediately used her chains to block the axe he was swinging.

-Clang clang clang!

As the chains and axe entangled, making an ominous sound, Beatrice’s expression began to contort.

Seeing this, Kara laughed mockingly and said.

“It’s different from ordinary enhancement magic, very different.”

Kara said with a smile.

“It’s a blessing directly from God to eliminate heretics. It won’t be dispelled until the heretic disappears from my sight.”

“Damn it all!”

Finally unable to continue the power struggle, Beatrice wrapped her chains around the weapon, deflected it, and forcibly created distance using her legs.

“Oh my, this is too much!”

“Everyone, retreat!”

I could hear Lara fighting silently and Eve quickly ordering a retreat.

Soon we were all gathered together, surrounded by knights of the Emiris Order.

“Damn…”

Some of the knights who had been deliberately still during the earlier exchange were now moving.

If they all moved at once now…

We would definitely lose.

“Damn it…!”

I tried to put strength into my body to move again, but my body was too heavy and moved sluggishly.

Still, I gritted my teeth and assumed a stance, and Kara said.

“Your perseverance is admirable.”

I glared at her with wide eyes at her quiet voice.

But now certain of victory, Kara quietly pointed at us and said.

“Knights.”

Soon her voice softly resonated.

“Capture them.”

The Red Knights began charging at us one after another.

Behind them, the knights of the Emiris Order also began to charge.

Kara stood behind them, looking at me.

Even at this moment, her eyes were still fixed on me.

I could see Beatrice hardening her expression and moving to the front line, while Eina took up position at the rear with her axe.

And then.

-Rumble rumble rumble

The ground began to shake.