Ch.267Attrition War

Truly, it was an unbearably terrible ten minutes.

Being cut, burned, torn apart, and melted—I felt like I had experienced every pain a human could possibly endure.

Though the pain itself had vanished like a mirage, the shock still remained like residue.

Enough to make my head spin even now.

[Have you regained consciousness? Then get up! How long do you intend to remain on your knees!]

Get… up…?

…Ah. Right. I need to stand.

I gather my exhausted mind, reining in thoughts that threaten to scatter in all directions.

Nothing is over yet. The enemy still stands before me.

I force strength into my trembling legs to lift my body.

I forcibly bend my loosened grip to firmly grasp the sword hilt, and though staggering, I rise again and raise my sword.

My heart pounds as if about to burst. My lungs feel like they might seize.

Through sheer will, I somehow calm my internal organs that twitch in alarm.

I’ve shattered both the Netherworld’s Farewell and the Embracing Nightmare.

So… I’m about halfway there now.

“Lord Median, are you alright…!”

Lacy rises urgently, striking the ground with her cross spear and releasing a miracle.

A veil of holy light envelops me like sunshine-dried bedding. Warmth penetrates my overworked mind, clearing my consciousness.

“…Ah, yes. Thank you. I almost didn’t make it. I thought I could block it with my mana resistance.”

“Be careful. Even the blessing of mana resistance has its limits. Elpinel, grant us life as warm as spring.”

A pure white light settles on Lacy and Ophelia’s bodies, healing their wounds before quickly fading.

The holy light disappeared after healing only injuries without leaving even a trace of excess power, lest it interfere with Ophelia’s magic.

It was an impressive display of Lacy’s power control.

“Haah… truly, what a terrible monster…. To think the dead emperor made a child with something like that—it’s almost admirable.”

Ophelia, having regained her strength, straightens her body while glaring at Isabella.

“How… how is this possible! Even if you’re a ‘variable,’ there’s no way you could break a perfectly cast nightmare…!”

Isabella, staggering, mutters in bewilderment as she supports herself with insect legs.

The witch’s upper body, which had been deeply cut and gushing blood, was already healing.

This wasn’t the Netherworld’s Farewell.

The wound was slowly closing. Inside the cross-section, countless centipedes could be glimpsed writhing.

Right. That’s the power of the “Writhing Nest.”

She was merely using parasitic insects in her body to seal the cut.

Hersella did something similar when she was badly cut by that ghost sword.

Neither recovery nor resurrection, but emergency treatment no different from forcibly stitching together a torn area.

It might stop the bleeding, but the fact that she was cut remains unchanged.

Standing straight, Ophelia takes something from her waist and consumes it.

It’s not a healing potion… I’m not sure what it is.

“Hmmmm… yes, this is it.”

Ophelia throws an empty glass bottle into the waterway, muttering to herself in admiration as her body trembles.

Her complexion reddens as if drunk. The aura of mana she emits becomes more violent.

“Now I feel like I can survive…!”

Ophelia smiles, embracing herself with her left arm as she bares her fangs.

Seeing this, Lacy slightly furrows her brow.

“A mental stimulant…. It must be a substance with strong narcotic properties that’s prohibited for sale.”

“It’s not illegal if I make and drink it myself, right? You need this much to withstand mental manipulation.”

So, she’s using drug effects to block mental magic.

I’m not sure what to say. Her approach is certainly different.

Anyway.

“Can you both still fight? Now that I’ve experienced it, I honestly can’t block this alone.”

“As much as needed.”

“Charging head-on was certainly reckless.”

Lacy raises her cross spear, and swirls of mana entwine around Ophelia’s arms.

Their unwavering hostility is directed at the disfigured witch.

“Haaah… Fine. We can figure out the reasons later, I suppose.”

Black sighs scatter like smoke.

Isabella, having completely reconnected her body, releases dark mana again and unfolds a magic circle in the air.

Her attitude suggests such injuries are insignificant.

However, she couldn’t completely hide her somewhat weakened momentum compared to before.

The source of her power, the dark mana itself, has definitely decreased.

Just looking at the number of manifested spells, there were only about twenty now, unlike before.

Yes! Since she can no longer resurrect to her original state, her dark mana is no longer infinite as before!

Following the magical bombardment from earlier and the manifestation of powers like “Embracing Nightmare”—

Even for a witch who has lived over a hundred years, it was natural for her power to diminish after using so much magic.

“I’ll ask your body directly, piece by piece!”

Isabella roars, spreading her arms wide. Twenty types of magic pour down at once.

“You already seem tired—I wonder if that’s even possible!”

I grip Durandal firmly and charge forward, swinging the tentacles of murder karma.

Black chains shatter when struck by lightning, and feathers of holy light purify curses and poison.

Colorful fireworks scatter with explosions, illuminating the space above.

Karma and dark mana, holy light and mana.

Four different types of power continuously entangle and collide.

“Isabellaaaa!”

“Don’t call me so casually, you little girl—!”

A war of attrition, burning each other’s powers like flames, continuing until one side tires.

In the midst of chaos reminiscent of a battlefield, I focused solely on the witch’s mouth.

Wary of her other mental power, “Black Repose.”

The best approach was to not give her the chance to cast it, but if she did, I had to be the one to take it.

Considering the principle that broke the “Embracing Nightmare”…

Black Repose would actually work in my favor.

And then.

As countless mana dissolved into the air and innumerable insect arms piled on the ground,

『 As if embraced by shadows, dream a languid nightmare and sink toward death! 』

“As Amplexa Umbra Somniat Tepidus Formidulosus Somnium, Descenda in mortem!”

Finally, Isabella’s full power, her fourth ability, extended toward me.

Breaking through both Lacy’s blessing and my mana resistance.

【 Black Repose 】

The world sank into darkness.

=====[ Underground Waterway ]=====

Swords and spears sing endlessly.

Thrown daggers bounce off and embed in walls, while shattered holy light sparkles on the water’s surface.

A collision of sounds like torrential rain. A metal orchestra reaches its climax, sending sparks flying in all directions.

Flickering shadows dance and mix like ballroom lovers, then scatter with a thunderous sound.

Fragments of broken walls sink into the underground water, creating ripples.

The three-against-one battle had already entered its final phase.

Heading toward an outcome none of those gathered there wanted.

“Not yet…! Do you think such meager threats can break the Sword of the East…!”

Nigel, who had been slammed to the floor, rises while coughing blood.

Her left hand, missing the ring and little fingers, picks up the dropped dagger again.

Her coat was already torn by swords and soaked in blood, and the armor worn over it was shattered with only fragments remaining.

However, the spirit in her chest still burned fiercely.

Do not fear. Fight without retreat.

Dedicate your life to your lord.

Words she had sworn when abandoning her family name and revealing her true self without falsehood.

A knight’s conviction guided her spear.

Toward an enemy she could not defeat.

—-

“Kugh…!”

Valkers, her complexion turned pale, clutched her left shoulder and staggered to her feet.

Her left arm was completely gone below the shoulder.

‘Such a mistake…! Of all times, at this moment when I’m separated from Lady Elmaine…’

The blow she tried to block with her shield of devotion suddenly became several times stronger upon contact, leaving her unable to respond.

Ernst’s full-power strike didn’t just cut off her arm—it shattered it into pieces.

An unbelievable power.

Unknown to them, that moment coincided with Isabella breaking free from the Netherworld’s Farewell and beginning to exert her full strength.

Naturally, Ernst’s body also absorbed his master’s suddenly increased mana, revealing his power without restraint.

“…Elpinel.”

Valkers gritted her teeth and summoned holy light once more.

Though she was somehow recovering with the blessing of healing, for a paladin, healing ability was merely a supplementary skill.

It was weak compared to the healing miracles performed by priests.

From the beginning, instantly recovering from losing an entire arm would be difficult even for Lacy, let alone Valkers.

Unless given ample time, restoring the arm during this battle was impossible.

With Valkers, who had been a key part of their strength, collapsing, Nigel was also immediately pushed into a defensive position.

Though they would have been on the defensive even if Valkers hadn’t been severely injured.

Because Ernst after that point was truly a monster.

Countless swarms of insects constantly gather and disperse beneath his exposed skin.

Just crossing swords with him sends one flying as if hit by a carriage.

Even a glancing blow tears through armor like paper, and avoided strikes shatter walls into pieces. Just like Haschal’s attacks.

It wasn’t just his strength that had increased.

Even when his rampaging arms were cut off, dozens of centipede-like insects would emerge from the cross-section and reconnect the severed limbs.

Penetrating wounds didn’t even count as injuries.

—-

“Haa… haa… Brother…!”

Leonore gasped for breath as she wrapped her torn sleeve around her forearm.

A wound where a broken blade had grazed her.

Compared to the other two, it was nothing, but that was only when comparing physical injuries.

In reality, her mind was in tatters, like walking barefoot on broken glass.