Ch.276276. Trial of Souls

Qualification.

This was a test of qualification to possess power, but conversely, one had to prove that they would not use that power.

In other words, could one protect souls from being used with malicious intent and resist temptation?

That was the meaning.

Then what needed to be done first was…

“Khaaaaaa!”

To defeat Lanhart who was charging recklessly toward me.

“Will you protect us.”

At the souls’ request, I nodded and passed by them. The souls that had been surrounding the area suddenly rose high into the sky, clearing the space.

It was a signal that they would not interfere in this battle.

‘I’ve been forced into quite an unreasonable role.’

Even so, asking me, a Spiritmaster, to fight without using souls to stop Lanhart seemed excessive.

But that was the role I had to fulfill now.

“Get out of my way!”

Lanhart leaped toward me, who was blocking his path, and extended his fist in mid-air.

It was a very threatening attack that made a dull wind sound as if tearing through space just by being swung.

I could hardly remember any being in my memory that exuded such intimidation with mere punches.

Kuuuung!

The ground rumbled as wind and noise collided between us like resonance, spreading in all directions.

I managed to block the initial strike with the protective magic the Dark Spiritmaster had created for me.

Only Luanes, who had become Heralhazad, had broken through this. Even Lanhart couldn’t immediately shatter the protective magic.

Kuung!

Kuung!

Kuung!

However, the barrage of punches showed no signs of stopping, and no matter how solid the barrier was, it couldn’t block forever.

As the attacks kept coming, cracks began to form in the magic, but I had no means to counterattack.

Not me.

“Urchaaaa!”

Findenai, who could finally rush forward as the souls cleared a path, launched himself at Lanhart and swung Baekseol.

The great arc of Baekseol struck Lanhart’s shoulder directly.

But Lanhart was only pushed back a few steps, snorting without any significant injury.

“Is that all.”

Lanhart taunted Findenai, suggesting it was laughable. Normally, Findenai would have frowned and charged in immediately.

But he stood in front of me with his lips tightly sealed. He was determined not to show any openings that would allow Lanhart to reach me.

“I can see the situation is complicated. But it seems like we just need to kill that guy and be done with it, right? Am I understanding correctly?”

Findenai asked, pointing at Lanhart with his chin. I answered as I withdrew the protective magic again.

“Think of him as a guardian deity like Mountain Lord. He’s already transcended the human category.”

“I can tell just by looking at that tail.”

Lanhart’s heavy tail swept across the floor. That dragon-like appendage was ready to strike down opponents at any moment.

Darius quietly walked past me and stood beside Findenai.

“We were in a position to stop hunters trying to hunt a guardian deity. Now suddenly we’re hunting something close to a guardian deity ourselves.”

Quite a neat summary.

It didn’t sound like something Darius would say.

Click.

Deia, who followed Darius to my side, stood beside me while infusing her shotgun with magical power.

I suddenly wished she wouldn’t join in, but she probably wouldn’t listen even if I said so.

“The souls aren’t helping?”

I nodded slightly at Deia’s question. Right behind us, Deus Verdi was watching us with scrutinizing eyes.

He was merely observing us with dull, colorless eyes.

“It’s a bit harsh to tell a Spiritmaster to fight without using souls.”

Deia grumbled spitefully, but she knew there was nothing we could do about it.

“Do you have a plan?”

Deia asked, glancing at me.

Findenai and Darius, who were acting as a wall in front of us, had their backs turned but were listening intently to my words.

“Guardian deities begin to weaken dramatically from the moment they lose whatever they’re protecting.”

Horua of the Marias Great Forest was gradually weakening from the moment he gave up ownership of the forest, and Mountain Lord could be defeated by burning the Norsweden mountain range.

Guardian deities are surprisingly easy to defeat compared to the power they possess.

“But that doesn’t apply to him.”

The same silence, but after those words, it felt strangely heavier.

“He swallowed a great dragon, but what he’s protecting is probably his own life. In the end, we need to defeat him with skill.”

“Is that possible?”

I answered honestly to Deia, whose expression darkened as if recalling Mountain Lord.

“It’s impossible.”

With our current forces, it’s absolutely impossible. Being honest, we can’t win.

No matter how much stronger Findenai had become, even with Darius and Deia helping, and me joining in.

The weight of beings labeled as “gods” was not so light.

“So we need to call for reinforcements.”

“Reinforcements?”

“We push him back to the Norsweden mountain range.”

The three immediately understood what I meant. The strong energy felt from the Norsweden mountains as the souls retreated.

It was Mountain Lord.

“We force a fight in the mountains. We get the tiger who’s just watching, thinking it’s not his business, to participate.”

“Ha!”

Hearing my words, Findenai stepped forward with a satisfied expression.

“You say it’s difficult, but look how solutions just pop out. Feels like fighting alongside the master.”

Darius and Deia nodded slightly, seeming to agree with her words.

I wasn’t sure what she meant, but it seemed they had formed some consensus about me while I was gone.

“Tell all the other soldiers to fall back. If they get caught up in this, it will just be meaningless deaths.”

At my words, Darius immediately waved his hand, and the soldiers quickly retreated.

“The victory condition is simple. We win if we push him out of the city.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“It seems pretty impressive just to make that thing take a few steps back.”

Findenai and Darius complained at my words, but their eyes remained fixed on Lanhart.

Lanhart was thumping the ground with his tail, seemingly adjusting his body.

The sight of him gradually growing larger with cracking sounds felt like watching clay being added to a sculpture.

“The method is simple.”

Mana began to swirl at my fingertips like a vortex. It was like an engine warming up, ready to fly at any moment.

“Protect me with all your might. Don’t let him touch me.”

Did they think it was out of the blue?

All three of them fixed their gazes on me at once.

Protecting me and pushing Lanhart out seemed like somewhat different concepts.

But that was the only way we could win.

“Then I will protect everyone with my life.”

I discovered that Lanhart couldn’t break the Dark Spiritmaster’s protective magic in one blow.

What I need to do now is support.

“As long as I stand on this ground, Lanhart will never touch any of you.”

One hit from Lanhart, whose strikes are close to fatal, could be dangerous.

Especially Findenai and Darius, who have to engage in close combat, could lose their lives in an instant if they make a mistake.

The two at the front line, understanding my intention, nodded and raised their weapons.

But what signaled the start of battle was…

Tang!

“Is our strategy session over?”

It was Deia’s shotgun.

The bullet fired through magic naturally couldn’t even scratch Lanhart’s skin.

Deia clicked her tongue in disappointment.

The moment Lanhart’s golden eyes fixed on Deia, Darius rushed forward.

“Where are you looking?!”

Darius, called the Giant of the North, and Lanhart, who had grown to match his size, reached out without hesitation to block the sword.

Kaang!

Though he caught the sword with his hand, the sound was like striking steel.

Before Lanhart could react to Darius, Findenai swung Baekseol and charged in from the other side.

Kaang!

Again, Lanhart blocked Baekseol with his hand.

Though both his hands were now occupied, he grinned eerily.

“I’ll crush your weapons along with you.”

Wuddeuddeuk!

Blood vessels bulged prominently in his muscles as his hands trembled. He intended to completely shatter Darius’s sword and Findenai’s Baekseol.

The two desperately tried to pull their weapons free, but they were powerless against Lanhart’s monstrous strength.

However.

Click.

A thick gun barrel was pointed at Lanhart’s face, who couldn’t use his hands.

Taang!

Deia pulled the trigger without hesitation. Lanhart’s head jerked back, but his body didn’t lose strength.

“Hard-headed bastard!”

Tang!

Tang!

Tang!

Deia fired continuously. Though she could make him turn his head away, it didn’t seem very effective.

Tuk.

My hand touched her shoulder, and mana naturally passed through to reach the shotgun.

Taaang!

The gunshot echoed longer than ever before.

Lanhart, who had arrogantly been taking bullets with his body, was lifted and pushed backward. Having released the weapons he was holding, Findenai and Darius immediately charged forward.

“When we push once, we keep pushing! I’ll charge in, so match the tempo!”

A maid giving orders to a Marquis was somewhat unusual, but anyway.

As the two rushed forward, Deia felt something strange and hugged herself, shivering.

“You… I felt connected to you.”

“…That’s not wrong, but don’t use that expression in front of Darius.”

“What, like a tingling sensation of pleasure rushing through?”

“We might need to do it a few more times, so stay focused.”

“It feels like my mana was violated.”

“……”

She must have been bewildered when mana suddenly surged into her body. Judging by the power we just saw, we might need to do it a few more times, so I pushed Deia’s back and moved forward with her.

* * *

Kuuung!

[What’s that?]

A vast sound echoed across the horizon. The Dark Spiritmaster, who had flown here at full speed without rest, tilted her head in confusion.

[Why are there so many souls?]

Countless souls covering the sky of Norsweden.

Naturally, the Dark Spiritmaster feared that Deus’s plan might have failed as soon as he appeared.

Intense noise and smoke were rising from Norsweden city, as if someone was fighting.

As the Dark Spiritmaster, who had somehow made it here, looked around.

She saw the familiar back of the Saintess among the souls.

[Stella!]

[Senior?]

Stella immediately turned around at the voice calling her. The Dark Spiritmaster urgently approached her and asked.

[What’s happening? Why are there so many souls?]

Though the Dark Spiritmaster wanted an answer, Stella shook her head.

[I was just checking myself. It seems he really has returned. The situation doesn’t look good.]

At those words, the Dark Spiritmaster hesitated for a moment before carefully asking.

[He really… has returned?]

That was what mattered most to both of them. Stella nodded slightly and answered.

[I think so. Let’s go to Norsweden city first.]

The two were about to head to Norsweden together, but.

[But I should meet him first, so follow behind me. Stella, you lost at rock-paper-scissors.]

[……]

[Answer me, junior?]

[…Yes.]

[Don’t pout. I won fair and square, so it’s my right?]

The Dark Spiritmaster was gloating, and Stella responded petulantly.

[But you can’t make physical contact. I won the right to hug him first.]

[Ah, of course. Do as you please.]

Despite saying that, the Dark Spiritmaster smiled inwardly.

After all, if she just rushed to him when they first met, that would be that.

Hiding her devious intentions, the Dark Spiritmaster headed toward Norsweden with Stella.