Chapter 11 : The Empire’s Princess (4)

The moment I grasped the holy sword, a familiar warmth spread through my fingertips.

“Hero…”

Seraphine’s trembling voice reached my ears. Eight wings unfolded simultaneously, and divine light filled the cathedral. The holy sword heralding the dawn and the angel’s wings—this was always our combination.

“Stop right there.”

The captain of the Imperial Guard stepped forward. His silver-white armor gleamed coldly, like moonlight. His sword sliced through the air, aimed directly at us.

“This is your final chance, hero. Do not defy the will of the Empire.”

The tense air filled the cathedral. The captain’s silver sword glowed with a crimson aura, while the court magician’s staff crackled with swirling energy. The head maid’s dagger glinted subtly.

The Empire’s elites. But we weren’t to be underestimated either. We were the best partners, forged through five years of trust.

With a burst of magical energy, the court magician moved first. Power surged and spiraled from the tip of his staff.

Seraphine’s wings unfurled in response. Her pure white feathers spread like a fan, creating a sacred shield.

Molten-hot magic clashed against the holy barrier. Yet Seraphine’s divine power remained steadfast.

The flames fizzled out the instant they touched her pristine wings, like embers extinguished on snow.

“Thank you, Lady Seraphine.”

“It’s only natural! After all, the hero and I…”

Before she could finish, the captain’s sword cut through the air, a crimson streak aimed at my neck.

I raised the holy sword. The sacred energy flowing through its blade shimmered like a beautiful aurora.

I barely managed to block, but the terrifying impact reverberated through my arm.

So this is the Empire’s strongest knight…

There was no time to think as I sensed a cold killing intent from behind. The head maid’s dagger approached like a shadow.

I twisted my body to dodge, but my cloak was torn in the process.

The captain’s sword struck again, this time aimed at my waist. As I blocked with the holy sword, the maid’s dagger targeted my blind spot once more.

“For the prosperity of the Empire.”

Crimson aura enveloped the captain’s sword, flaring up like blood boiling from its blade.

Aizen’s sword carved through the air, drawing a red trajectory as it streaked toward my neck at lightning speed.

I barely managed to parry it with the holy sword, but the shock shook my entire body. The crimson aura seemed to encroach upon my own gray aura.

“Now the real battle begins.”

The head maid’s voice echoed, her dagger emitting a colorless aura. It was a formless, imperceptible danger.

This is…

A chill ran down my spine. Her aura disrupted my senses, like fighting amidst a dense fog.

“If you let your guard down…”

The intangible aura sliced through the air. In an instant, ten daggers flew toward me simultaneously.

I swung the holy sword to deflect them, but at that moment, Aizen’s blade aimed for my heart.

“Guh…”

I narrowly avoided it, but the edge grazed my side, drawing blood. The Empire’s elites executed a flawless combination—the captain’s overwhelming power and the head maid’s dazzling assassination techniques meshed seamlessly.

I stole a glance at Seraphine. Divine magic and holy energy clashed brilliantly in the air.

“The laws of nature rest in my hands!”

Flames erupted like a dance, instantly transforming into icy spears. The ice shattered into fragments, unleashing bolts of lightning that morphed into a raging typhoon. Four elements burst forth in a single moment. The nickname “Master of the Elements” was no exaggeration.

“Sacred light…”

Seraphine began her prayer. Flames extinguished, ice melted, lightning dissipated. Even amidst the elemental storm, her wings did not falter. In the face of her divine light, all elements were rendered powerless.

“You have no time for distractions.”

The maid’s cold voice accompanied a dagger slicing through the air toward my nape.

I barely blocked with the holy sword, but in that instant, the captain’s blade aimed for my heart again.

The combined pressure of their auras grew more intense. I was forced to focus solely on defense.

“In battle, a single moment of carelessness means death. Have you forgotten?”

The captain’s cold voice rang out as his sword, now stained crimson, unleashed a relentless series of attacks.

I knew he was strong, but facing him in person was entirely different.

An unrelenting barrage of flawless strikes left no openings.

“Impressive. You’ve improved a lot since before.”

Images of them, from when they trained me after I first fell into this otherworld five years ago, flashed through my mind.

“But you’re still full of vulnerabilities.”

The maid’s dagger targeted my ankle while I was preoccupied parrying the captain’s sword. I barely dodged, but it threw me off balance.

Aizen’s crimson aura erupted like a storm. His sword struck down with the speed of lightning.

This is dangerous… in this position…

As my body wavered, the maid’s shadow moved. Her formless aura disrupted my senses.

“You let your guard down. Pardon me.”

The maid’s cold voice.

With a chilling intent, her dagger pierced toward my chest. A sharp pain flickered across my body.

“…!”

But I didn’t collapse as she had likely expected. Her dagger had only grazed the surface of my skin, leaving a shallow wound.

Moreover, even that faint injury began to heal instantly, glowing with divine light.

Eva’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“That’s impossible…”

For the first time, the maid’s emotionless face faltered.

The Empire’s strongest forces… it’s no exaggeration.

The captain’s sword carried the strength of an S-rank warrior, and the maid’s movements were imbued with S-rank agility. Not to mention the devastating power of Roy’s magic from afar—it was nothing to scoff at.

Each of them likely had signature skills that reached SS-rank. Facing such masters simultaneously meant I was bound to be on the defensive.

However, my body had long since surpassed the limits of humanity.

[Status Window]
Name: Shin Haru
Class: Hero
Titles: “Master of the Holy Sword,” “Savior,” “Otherworlder”
Stats:

• Strength: A
• Agility: A
• Endurance: SSS
• Magic Power: A
• Mental Fortitude: S
• Luck: SS
  Equipment: Holy Sword “Dawn”

This was the result of five years of relentless growth. The hero’s body augmented by the goddess’s blessings, compounded with the experience gained from countless battles.

Add to that the hidden pieces uncovered through my original knowledge of the game, and my endurance stat had reached a legendary level.

This wasn’t just the choice of a coward.

In a world where the game had become reality, investing in defense wasn’t because I feared pain or death.

It was simply the most efficient choice.

I didn’t build my character for solo play. It wasn’t about fighting alone but about maximizing synergy with my party members.

And that meant…

“Lady Seraphine.”

One word was enough. Seraphine’s amethyst eyes sparkled.

Five years of trust had forged this bond. In moments like this, words were unnecessary—we instinctively understood each other’s intentions.

“Just as we always do.”

“Of course, my hero.”

“No, take it easy. The opponent is a human, not a demon.”

Seraphine chuckled softly. Her eight wings glowed even brighter.

The familiar prayer echoed, and divine power enveloped my body.

It was subtle, like moonlight, but the power contained within it was as intense as the sun.

‘Right, this is why I focused on endurance.’

The Saintess’s blessing is so strong that most cannot endure it for long. But with my SSS-level endurance, I was different.

The Holy Sword ‘Dawn’ shone like the first light of dawn. The ash-colored aura and the sacred energy followed the sword’s blade and grew even stronger.

My whole body was overflowing with power. The ash-colored aura resonated with the sacred energy and became even more intense.

“This… this is…!”

The court wizard’s eyes widened in shock. He was astonished by the sight of two opposing forces intertwining.

“Resonance of aura and divine power… This is impossible… Aura and divine power are forces that cannot mix like oil and water!”

This method had been proven to be the most efficient through years of combat. When the Saintess’s divine power and my aura combined, we became powerful enough to overpower anyone.

Well, that’s probably why I became the one fleeing from the party. Since I had invested all my points into endurance, I had difficulty handling the obsession of my party members in one-on-one situations. My abilities were entirely based on party play, so when I was alone, I was just a sturdy meat shield.

“Is this even possible…?”

“This is… the Hero…”

But now I was with the Saintess. That fact alone already made victory inevitable.

The Captain of the Guard raised his sword. The red aura surged along the blade.

But his aura no longer posed any threat.

I casually swung the Holy Sword. The trajectory, mixed with ash-colored aura and divine power, cut through the air.

Clang!

With a piercing sound, the Captain’s aura shattered into pieces. The sound of his silver armor breaking echoed through the cathedral.

“This… This can’t be…”

His voice trembled as the red aura faded and dwindled.

“Is this what they call surpassing the master?”

I rested the Holy Sword on my shoulder and asked. The playful tone came naturally now.

At that moment, I felt a cold killing intent. It was the Head Maid. Her dagger approached like a shadow.

But now, her movements were completely visible to me. Her speed now felt like slow motion.

The trajectory of the Holy Sword deflected her weapon with a single strike.

“Ugh!“

She lost her balance and staggered backward. Her white skin, revealed through the torn maid uniform, caught my eye, but I didn’t bother focusing on it. Her confusion was a more interesting reward to me.

The court wizard was already trembling, holding his staff. He poured all his magic to conjure a massive flame, but with a single wave of my hand, all his magic dissipated.

“Still want to continue?”

I asked, resting the Holy Sword on my shoulder. I glanced at Iris, whose eyes widened in shock, and she clenched her lips tightly.

“Is this the strength of a Hero party… The three strongest of the Empire are this helpless…”

The Captain of the Guard knelt down. His silver armor shattered and scattered across the floor.

The Head Maid seemed to have already lost her will to fight. She retreated to a corner, covering her torn clothes.

The court wizard’s staff was shaking uncontrollably. It seemed like his magic had completely drained.

The tide of battle had reversed in an instant.

‘Well, isn’t that obvious?’

If the Empire’s military power were stronger than the Hero, then there wouldn’t have been a need for a Hero in the first place. They would have already slain the Demon King on their own by now.