Ch.347347. Blasphemy (7)

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“Kugh…!”

The Pope let out a groan as he pulled back his sacred body.

Unlike before when he had completely dominated and pushed his opponent, now that the other side had been pierced by the Severance Blade, they could match his “output”—a phenomenon that emerged from this situation.

As much as he hated to admit it, that damned man was undoubtedly a formidable opponent.

“Your Holiness. To be honest.”

Above him, Darwood Campbell’s voice fell, tinged with a bitter laugh.

“From the moment you created that sacred body, you never thought you’d lose, did you? Never thought you’d die either.”

The more perfectly one prepares, the more arrogant one tends to become. Just like that guy whose head was cracked open at the previous Demonic Spire.

But Darwood Campbell was seasoned in battles against opponents stronger than himself.

In fact, his split-second responsiveness—not just holding his own in a battle of wits with the Pope, but controlling variables within combat and formulating superior strategies on the fly—gave the impression that his capabilities far exceeded the Pope’s own.

The situation had been reversed.

“Hey, wait, don’t twist it while it’s stuck in me when I’m moving…!”

“I-it can’t be helped…! If I don’t do this, the wound will open wider…!”

“…”

Of course, just looking at them, it was embarrassing to be pushed into a defensive position by such people.

The Holy Maiden, blankly drawing out holy power stream after stream with a face that suggested she’d given up; Yuria, on the verge of tears, desperately twisting the Severance Blade this way and that to match Darwood’s movements.

But the most impressive sight was undoubtedly the man standing at the end of it all.

With swords stuck in him like a scabbard, bloodshot eyes, and blood gushing from his mouth, Darwood Campbell squeezing out magical formulas was truly an awe-inspiring sight…

Though not at all threatening.

‘But still…!’

There was still a way to win.

He still possessed the characteristic of growing infinitely stronger the longer he was left alone. If this state continued, he would eventually be the one standing at the end…!

“Still can’t let go, old man.”

But over such thoughts, a frost-like sneer fell.

Darwood tightly gripped the rosary he held in both hands.

Blood formed on his hands. Simultaneously, demonic energy gathered in the seal of the Fallen Heaven, which he had never used until now.

“From the beginning, I never intended to drag this out, you know?”

And as it condensed and was discharged through a “barrel,” the Pope’s eyes widened.

‘The Severance Blade…?!’

In fact, if one were to analyze it, this should be considered a foolish choice.

What meaning could there be in concentrating all energy into a sword? Rather, sticking it into a person’s body and directly injecting holy power like a lightning rod, though strange, was at least efficient.

But such questions were soon answered.

As soon as the demonic energy and holy power drawn from the seal of the Fallen Heaven were “mixed” and imbued into the Severance Blade, Darwood Campbell walked forward and pulled the sword out of his body.

And then, just like that.

“Go!”

“Don’t say that so dramatically while throwing a person!”

He somehow put a leash around Yuria’s neck—when he had taken it out was unclear—and threw her.

It was an attack that lacked any seriousness even at this final moment, but precisely because of that, it was clearly an unpredictable method.

“This fucking hurts, seriously!”

Of course, it was undoubtedly a violent method that naturally elicited such screams, but it clearly had enough power to justify enduring such pain.

This was markedly different from how the Pope had been standing firm regardless of the attacks until now.

“-!”

Darwood had ascended as the Black Demon. The source of that was black demonic energy.

The effect was “intimidation.”

An ability that could momentarily freeze even the continent’s strongest fighters just by “facing them.”

If concentrated and detonated at close range like this, it would inevitably affect even a sacred body that could otherwise ignore most effects or attacks.

Indeed, the Pope’s body stiffened when confronted with it.

‘This is…!’

He hadn’t imagined this. Because it was an ability that hadn’t been used even once until now.

In other words, it could be called a very simple variable that might appear in actual combat. If one were just a little more thorough, it would be impossible to forget that this was one of that man’s main abilities.

But such things become harder to confirm the more one is pushed into a defensive position.

And when it came to these kinds of tiny tricks, Darwood Campbell was undoubtedly a master.

After all, few people across the entire continent could match this man’s experience in brushing with death!

“A bastard who’s only ever thought about controlling others without ever risking his life once can’t match someone who’s survived dozens of battlefields in practical combat sense!”

“…Aren’t those battlefields you created through your own actions?”

“Shut up, Holy Maiden!”

And if the Pope were exposed to that black demonic energy, if there were even a one-second gap…

For a master-level vanguard who could consume sub-millisecond units as if they were eternities, it would be enough time to completely kill an opponent.

“Hnnnngh-!”

-!

-!!!!

The Severance Blade, containing perhaps the most powerful energy ever held in a weapon, was swung with Yuria’s gritted teeth and battle cry.

Without time to react by moving the sacred body, it sliced through with a cutting sound.

Unlike before when attacks were repelled as if invincible, the sacred body was smoothly split in half like tofu.

Dangerous.

Red alerts blared loudly in the Pope’s mind.

The power of the sacred body comes from its defense that can “withstand anything.”

Of course, if it were completely perfected, it could regenerate almost infinitely like the Pope did before merging with the sacred body, but this was nowhere near completion yet.

If he stayed like this, he would die!

‘…To think I’d have to use this…!’

Whatever that damned man babbled, he had let it go in one ear and out the other, but he was right about one thing.

He was always someone who prepared means of escape. Always.

Even for situations like now, when problems arose while inside the sacred body, he already had insurance in place.

The Pope gritted his teeth and concentrated.

All organisms that enter the sacred body exist inside as pure ethereal matter after being “vaporized.”

And if he could maintain this state and escape, it was clear that no one could attack him—he would be invincible.

Of course, he wouldn’t be able to take any action either, but as an escape mechanism, it was nearly invincible.

Could any monstrous attack erase a human mixed into the atmosphere as they escaped?

“Yes, I knew you would. The more insidious the person, the more brilliantly they prepare ways to save themselves.”

But something was strange.

Despite using his trump card escape technique, the opponent showed no signs of being flustered.

As if he had predicted this all along.

“From the beginning, the person who would kill you was already decided.”

From that sentence, the Pope realized something.

There was one.

A means to strike him from the “inside.”

‘No way…!’

Before his mind could process the feeling of shock, distinct “magical power” formed inside the sacred body.

Clearly.

It belonged to Grand Duke Tristan, who had been consumed earlier.

Existing in exactly the same state as him, inside the sacred body.

“What is this…!”

How could he be conscious in this state?

How could he form magical power in this state?

The method was unknown, but one thing was certain.

Being consumed earlier was a setup for this very purpose.

He hadn’t thought it was done without any thought, but to think it would be used like this…!

“The grander and more magnificent one’s ambitions are.”

And above that.

Once again, Darwood’s sneer fell.

“The more pathetic their exit tends to be, you know?”

The purification formula that the Pope had pursued throughout his life, close to its “perfect form,” burst forth as light.

And directly struck the Pope inside the sacred body.

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“Well, that was quick.”

The Luminary opened his mouth with a grin.

“Looks like they’ve already finished over there. This is why people need to be diligent, I tell you.”

With those words, the Holy Sword was swung in a crescent shape.

The current Hero—Elia Krisanax—is famous for her swordsmanship style that relies on her own senses: free-spirited yet sharp, like a beast.

The sword wielded by the Luminary wasn’t much different in that regard.

The only difference was:

The “level of completion” was truly worlds apart.

The bodies of Elnore and Elia, caught in the trajectory of that sword strike, were simultaneously thrown back.

“So, I should finish this quickly too, right?”

Undoubtedly, both were in tatters. Their entire bodies were covered in wounds, dust, and dirt.

Considering the strength of these two, it was truly an astonishing sight.

“…Student Council President.”

“Hmm.”

“I don’t usually say things like this, but.”

“What is it?”

“…That person is a monster, isn’t he?”

Elnore remained silent.

Rarely, her expression was filled with signs of agreement.

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