Ch.91Chapter 91. That’s Just My Afterimage?

A fierce battle was raging.

Due to the combat between Salermei and Lucy, who were unleashing devastating attacks with no regard for allies, the other hero party members had to struggle to avoid the aftermath.

“Luciena! We’re here too! Whoa?!”

As a spear that Luciena had released flew toward him, Naidrian leaped backward to retreat.

“Welcome~.”

Adora didn’t miss the opportunity and continued to summon magical beasts to pressure the mage and archer.

Although she couldn’t gather many because the Pope had moved unnecessarily early, it was enough to fill this small chapel.

“Multiple Magic Bullets”

From the air, Tigria eliminated the magical beasts as they appeared with overwhelming firepower, while Naidrian quickly pierced with arrows those that occasionally dodged to the side.

“The illusionist seems to be a strategist type. She doesn’t appear to be physically strong, does she?”

“Better not underestimate her. She was the one who launched that slash that tore through space earlier.”

As they underestimated the illusionist who was simply pushing forward with quantity, Tigria firmly warned Naidrian.

Heeding the warning, Naidrian deliberately shot an arrow in an odd direction.

Despite the narrow space, the arrow curved strangely, bending its trajectory toward where Adora was standing.

SWOOSH!

The arrow tore through the air and pierced the illusionist, but there was no blood splatter.

Adora grinned.

“Where are you looking?”

“?!”

Simultaneously, a voice came from behind the archer.

“That was just my afterimage?”

“Ugh! Tigria, heat! Detect her body temperature!”

“There are too many heat sources because of the hero’s attack aftermath and the magical beasts!”

Ah, really!

“This is really not easy!”

Naidrian expressed his frustration as he cut down a magical beast charging at him with a dagger.

Meanwhile, Lucy couldn’t hide her anxiety as she faced Salermei, who wasn’t giving an inch.

The speed of the thrusts was extraordinary.

She blocked and dodged by the narrowest margins, relying solely on instinct rather than visual tracking.

Lucy’s pride, which had made her confident she could defeat anyone except the Demon Lord, was beginning to crack.

It was happening again now.

When she leaped into the air and tried to swing her abyss sword, Salermei immediately thrust her spear, blocking the sword’s trajectory at a point before Lucy could even put power into it.

They ended up in a deadlock.

“You’re sweating a lot? Our poor hero, is it because you’re too far away from Lin?”

“Shut up!”

Despite her taunts, Salermei was secretly impressed.

No matter how much of a hero Lucy was, she couldn’t understand how this strength was possible.

Lucy responded appropriately to Salermei’s attacks, which relied on thrust power and speed, and sometimes pushed back using that strength, even if she was slightly slower.

Though Salermei was smiling casually, the balance of this exchange was extremely precarious.

In that case, she had to attack mentally.

“From the looks of it, you still haven’t been forgiven by Lin~?”

Through their locked weapons, Salermei could feel Lucy’s agitation.

Lucy, who had received affection education from the Abyss and awakened as a true yandere, wasn’t showing that side of herself as expected.

Since coming to the Church State, Lin had been rushing as if being chased by something and hadn’t been giving her or Tigria any attention.

Unable to act for fear of criticism, Lucy’s dark affection continued to build as incidents kept occurring.

“You’ve been with him all this time and still haven’t been forgiven. Maybe it’s time to give up?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!!”

Lucy deflected the spear, raising red-golden magical power.

“There’s only Lin. In those hundreds of millions of repetitions, he was the only one who saved me!”

Yes, this is fate.

A tragic fate.

All the blame lay entirely with herself.

With herself, who had been arrogant and reckless, failing to recognize true love.

“I could give my life if Lin wanted it.”

But Salermei was no longer listening to Lucy’s words.

“Hundreds of millions of repetitions…?”

How does the hero know that?

“You, who told you about that?”

“I found out through the power of love.”

“Stop talking nonsense, hmm? Tell me quickly.”

Blue magical power began to surge again.

Salermei’s eyes, filled with extreme anger, also glowed golden.

“You knew that and still treated Lin that way?!”

“This is just the beginning. My true atonement!”

Salermei’s attempt to attack Lucy’s mental state had backfired on herself.

Once again, merciless attacks that showed no intention of forgiving each other were flying everywhere.

—

“Discharge, Chain, Release!”

With just three words, high-voltage current was released around Tigria.

The current flowed through the magical beasts, burning and bursting them all without exception.

Adora leaped to avoid the lightning that was extending toward her as well.

“Got you!”

Naidrian quickly drew his bowstring, but Adora had already created more than ten doppelgangers in mid-air.

“Multiple Magic Ricochet!”

Tigria also fired dozens of magical bullets that bounced in all directions.

“Quite interesting.”

However, half disappeared into the battle between Salermei and Lucy, and the other half were all nullified with just one gesture from Adora.

“Detecting heat sources is useless. I’ve replicated even that… ugh?!”

Adora, who was about to mock them, hurriedly turned her head to avoid an arrow.

The other doppelgangers were also hit by arrows simultaneously and disappeared into smoke.

“Then I’ll just shoot all of them at once.”

Naidrian, irritated by the illusionist’s tricks, responded with a snort.

Adora acknowledged that she had underestimated her opponent.

Despite his excessive timidity, Naidrian was second only to Lucy in combat skills excluding firepower.

“No matter how strong you are, you can’t handle two-on-one.”

Tigria also raised her remaining magical power, preparing to finish this.

But even in this situation, Adora didn’t lose her smile.

“Two-on-one?”

Humans were truly naive.

“It’s been three-on-two from the beginning, hasn’t it?”

“You coward!”

Naidrian shouted as he understood Adora’s meaning, but it was already too late.

“Ultimate skill.”

Salermei, who had been gathering magical power while fighting Lucy, took a stance facing Naidrian.

“Destruction: Strike of Lumination!”

The spear wielder’s thrust, delivered with all her might, flew toward Naidrian.

The archer sensed it.

At this speed, it was absolutely impossible to dodge.

“Estel Style Secret Technique: Sky Strike!”

Surprisingly, it was Lucy who blocked the attack.

Before the archer could even be surprised by this unexpected help, Salermei, who had anticipated the movement, immediately released her force.

“Ah!”

As Lucy lost her balance and leaned forward, the spear wielder delivered a flying kick.

The kick hit Lucy’s breastplate precisely, and the struck hero flew backward.

Right toward Adora.

“Wait, Salermei!”

The spear wielder also sensed something was wrong when Lucy flew away too easily, but it was already too late.

The illusionist hurriedly created a doppelganger to escape, but,

“It’s useless.”

In that brief moment, Tigria scattered magical power on the floor, binding Adora’s ankles.

Lucy, who was flying toward her, turned her body toward Adora, grabbed the illusionist’s neck, and slammed her to the ground.

“Kuhak!”

“Setup, Seal, Isolate.”

“Don’t move!”

Situation over.

The mage trapped Lucy and Adora by surrounding them with a wall of magic, and the archer aimed his bow at Salermei.

“Yes, you’re right. It was three-on-two from the beginning.”

Lucy tightened her grip on the neck, confident in victory.

“Say it again. What? You’ll take Lin away?”

“Kugh… kek…!”

“Lin is mine. I won’t give him to anyone.”

“Kik… k… hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!”

The illusionist, who had been growing paler as her neck was strangled, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

The spear wielder was also giggling mockingly.

“What’s so funny?”

“Ha… Luciena, unlike last time, your hesitation is gone when charging in. That, I’ll praise you for.”

Slip

Lucy felt the sensation disappear from her hand.

Adora passed through her as if nothing had happened and stood up.

“But you still haven’t moved beyond being a boar that only looks ahead.”

“It’s really a shame~. Did you think we wouldn’t be able to tell whether allies were in our line of attack or not?”

Adora and Salermei were gradually becoming hazy like a mirage.

“No way…!”

“That can’t be. I definitely confirmed they had physical forms!”

The hero and mage were shocked, but it was too late.

“You took my illusions too lightly. A good liar always puts enough sincerity into their lies to fool even themselves?”

“I’ll say it again for you~.”

The magical heroes were dissipating into black smoke from their ankles up.

“Lin will be taken by us magical heroes.”

With the spear wielder’s cruel farewell, the two completely disappeared.

Simultaneously, the spatial separation blocking the stairs to the basement was released.

“Tigria, tear up the floor! All of it!”

“I can’t with the remaining magical power! Let’s quickly go in and join up with Lin instead!”

“Damn it, Naidrian, follow me!”

Lucy, who had lost her temper, kicked the ground roughly and headed for the basement.

Damn them!

Were they doppelgangers from the beginning?

No, their magical power and the weight during the exchange were all real.

Then when did it happen?

This isn’t the time, I need to save Lin…!

As the hero and the rear guard were running frantically, a chilling voice reached them.

[Lin! I finally have you!]

“No!”

And before Lucy’s scream could fade,

[Not a chance!]

KWAAAAA!

A dazzling light filled the corridor.

[Did you think I would just stand by and watch! Angria!]

A massive pillar of light shot up.

The pillar pierced through and blew away the Pope’s residence itself.

Not only the basement ceiling but also the corridor walls were blown away.

Lucy’s group could finally see the situation in the basement.

Lin, panting in Ravin’s arms.

Arsil, glowing with light, standing in front of them protectively.

The large mass of flesh and the two magical heroes who had just disappeared, confronting them.

With a face showing unprecedented kindness and sadness, Arsil turned to Lin.

[I’m sorry for coming late, Lin.]

The goddess had descended through Arsil.