Ch.98Chapter 98. The Seven Holy Knights (8)

Chapter 98. Surviving as Paladin (8)

Though she was hundreds of meters away, Asha was clearly looking at me. Just as Lakye possessed eyesight superior to ordinary humans, perhaps Asha did too.

“I have come.”

Though quiet and low, her voice was distinctly audible even from that distance. The power of sorcery.

Asha, who had been staring intently at Totem 3, shifted her gaze toward Lakye. Of course, Lakye had already been glaring at Asha for some time.

Both had eyes full of murderous intent. They looked ready to kill each other with just their gazes.

“Is it that woman who has been filling Lord Malak’s head with futile thoughts?”

Lakye frowned at Asha’s accusatory finger-pointing.

“With a serpent’s tongue, whispering quietly, clouding his judgment, I presume.”

“You…!”

– Endure it. It’s just nonsense from a monster.

I stopped Lakye as she bared her fangs, preventing the argument before it started. Such exchanges only waste emotional energy.

Even if she’s half-human and half-something else, she’s still half human. Humans make mistakes when emotions run high.

– Calm yourself, my guardian. Don’t waste emotions exchanging words with the enemy.

She’s facing a major battle, so I should give her this much advice.

“…I apologize. I almost showed an unseemly side of myself.”

After taking several deep breaths, Lakye stroked Totem 3.

Hmm, it feels warm.

– Priestess Asha. I have descended for the salvation of this world.

“…”

Asha listened quietly.

– For salvation, to drive demons from this land, I made the civilized people my followers and accepted paladins. What have you done?

I briefly mentioned their cannibalism and the massive damage they’d inflicted on Dina’s special forces.

– You’ve only repeated actions that breed division. Merely for your tribe’s victory.

“That’s not true! I’ve only acted for the revival of our people!”

– Is that so? Then how did you plan to treat the other tribes? Would you have them accept Tuga’s blessing too, transforming them into such forms?

This is something I’ve wanted to ask for a while.

“…Tuga’s blessing can only be received by us, the chosen ones. Other tribes will prosper under the protection of our Black Coral tribe.”

Ha. That’s just saying they want to seize power and rule. They probably wanted to use this crisis to become the world’s rulers.

Did they think I wouldn’t see through such dark intentions?

– You have crossed a river of no return. Unrighteous ones, there are no more words to share.

Honestly, I’ve considered it. If I had met Asha before Tuga, or at least before she endangered Dina’s special forces, couldn’t I have made her an ally?

As a group with powerful military strength, they could have provided great help in fighting demons.

The cannibalism was concerning, but it could have been addressed with appropriate punishment and prohibition. Execute those who don’t comply.

But that was a futile thought. How could I reform and use such people? No, they’re not even human anymore.

“Everyone has completed preparations.”

Dina, standing beside Lakye, glanced at me. Behind her, armed residents were nervously swallowing their saliva.

– Understood.

I controlled the sea monsters I had killed earlier and positioned them in front of the fence. These zombies would serve as the main tanks protecting the residents.

“N-necromancy…!”

“How can forbidden sorcery…?”

“B-blasphemous!”

The sea monsters showed intense reactions. The commotion was audible even from here.

“…So you’ve resorted to necromancy?”

Asha examined the zombies with wide eyes. She seemed quite shocked, her mane-like hair trembling.

“Using impure magic on the bodies of honorable warriors…! Don’t you understand how insulting this is?”

Her eerie gaze turned toward me again. Perhaps because she was an avatar, her eyes were closer to human than crustacean.

The problem was they were completely black without any whites. Like the eyes of a demon from a manga.

“Are you calling us impure? Saying we’ve crossed a river of no return? While using necromancy yourself? How hypocritical!”

Asha unleashed pure anger. Unlike before, there was no disappointment, regret, or lingering attachment—just pure rage.

I didn’t bother responding. It wasn’t worth it.

“I will no longer try to understand your weakness. I’ll prove with power that Lord Malak was wrong!”

Asha chanted a spell and summoned black flames. The flames burned through the reed field, advancing toward us. Since we were surrounded by reeds, it seemed she intended to burn everything, including us.

That won’t do. I used the “Malak’s Domain” blessing to summon clouds.

Swoosh—

Rain falling from the clouds suppressed the flames, extinguishing the fire.

“As expected of the Wind and Rain God!”

“Long live Lord Malak!”

The residents rejoiced, but it was too early to relax.

“La menta. Ju bara. Den kura…!”

Asha was buffing the sea monsters. The buffed monsters doubled in size.

A growth spell? Well, I expected this much. She wouldn’t have thought she could face us with just 180 lower-demon-level fighters.

Wars are never that easily resolved.

“Uwooo-!”

The sea monsters, now over 3 meters tall, trampled the burned reeds as they approached. They seemed twice as fast too.

I bestowed the “Reinforcement Tattoo” blessing on the armed residents and activated the “Healing Totem.”

I also didn’t forget to establish a defensive line with the sea monster zombies.

All preparations were complete.

“…Hah.”

Hannah sighed deeply and drew her sword.

[NotACatfish: They’ve doubled in size…]

[NotACatfish: It’s starting now]

[NotACatfish: I’ll message again soon]

[NotACatfish: We must win]

She had been sending me private messages until just now.

Yes, we must win.

“Shall we go?”

Dina’s special forces, Lakye, and Hannah were all looking at me, waiting for my command.

– Wait.

Not yet. Just a little more. Just a bit.

Now.

– Go.

With my permission, seven warriors shot out like lightning. They would jump into the midst of the enemies and throw their formation into chaos.

Minimizing allied casualties by diving into enemy lines to annihilate them—this is the fighting method of asymmetric forces, or rather, superhumans.

“It’s the paladins!”

“They’ve come to protect their prey! Grab their feet!”

“Kill the prey first!”

Being an army rather than a reconnaissance team, the sea monsters moved more cohesively. They too were apocalyptic warriors who had fought demons continuously. We shouldn’t underestimate them.

It’s truly disgusting how they still refer to the residents as “prey.”

The ones giving orders must be squad leaders. We need to kill them first.

– Kill those wearing blue helmets, bone armor, and those with skulls attached to their spear shafts first.

“Yes!”

Lakye, running at the front, spotted them and attacked.

“Celestial Wings.”

Wings made of light sprouted from Dina’s back. So she has a flight skill too.

Probably a skill learnable at level 6 or 7.

“Light Explosion.”

Sea monsters directly hit by the light Dina scattered from the air were thrown back as if hit by a car.

Though it didn’t cause major damage since they weren’t demons, it served well as crowd control.

The other paladins dealt with the monsters thrown that way.

“Hyah!”

Gukbap’s hammer smashed a monster’s leg, Jackson’s dual swords cut off its right arm, and the Bella sisters’ swords pierced its heart.

Perfect coordinated attack.

“Damn it! You bastards! Die!”

Hannah was also busy cursing while cutting off the monsters’ windpipes. How intense.

Lakye beheading squad leaders, Dina unleashing area attacks, Hannah and the special forces diligently handling the minions.

Everyone was maintaining their positions well.

I turned the sea monsters they killed into zombies and used them to grab the feet of those heading toward the village. Looking here and there, it was chaotic.

Commanders in weeb games had it easy… why do I have so much to do?

Oh! Black energy is being shot toward Dina floating in the air!

– Be careful!

Dina avoided it by moving her wings, but the energy seemed to have auto-tracking, persistently targeting her.

The source was Asha. She had finally entered the battlefield, slowly approaching with the escort of shield-bearing monsters.

“Tch.”

Thinking she couldn’t avoid it, Dina struck the energy with her light-infused sword. A bang sounded, followed by an explosion.

– …!

I couldn’t see Dina through the smoke. Even though she’s level 8 and should be fine, I couldn’t help feeling anxious.

“I’m alright.”

Emerging from the smoke, Dina’s armor was slightly scorched. Good. No major issues.

“Lord Malak…!”

Asha, who had somehow drawn closer, raised both hands. Massive energy gathered at her fingertips.

– Lakye.

“Yes!”

Lakye moved toward Asha. She now understood with just a hint.

I used “Confusion Totem” on Asha, who had entered my range.