episode_0163

Unless there is an overwhelming difference in power between the opponents, battles with regenerators tend to take on the form of attrition.

Unless they possess a power that is considered the nemesis of regeneration in any medium, or unless there is a clear weakness in the opponent.

“Groo… I need more…!”

“Kyaaah! Let go! Please let go! High Priest! My arm!”

Of course, this fight was not like the usual ones.

The power balance was not significant, and neither I nor Friede were fire wielders. The only weakness of Gagnagle was that he would die if his head was split open.

“Darn it, regenerating again…!”

“Stop eating so much, you drowned pig!”

Therefore, the battle with Gagnagle naturally flowed into a consumption battle where flesh and blood formed the main aspect.

◆◆

The screams of the cultists echoed through the air.

Gagnagle, who had revealed his increased brain count and Alpha Thanatos’ offerings, now seemed to have nothing left to hide as he openly went berserk.

A reckless fighting style that involved defending against all attacks with his body and counterattacking simultaneously, as long as he protected his brain.

Thanks to this, every time we stabbed him with our swords, Friede and I had to be prepared to receive a blow in return.

“Ugh!”

Gagnagle, who had released the tentacles supporting his legs, leaped around like a flailing octopus.

Magic spells cast simultaneously on the tentacles of his limbs by seven brains filled the surrounding space with amorphous flesh that writhed and twisted.

Counting the number was meaningless. All directions were filled with thick and thin tentacles. It was as if I had fallen headfirst into a sensory deprivation trap.

Of course, my senses were sharper than ever. I danced around, swinging my mother’s sword.

The silvery gleam flickered faintly and swirled, tearing through the thick, undulating waves.

Every time a piece of flesh flew off, the viscous bodily fluids burst out and covered my armor stickily. It was slightly unpleasant.

I dodged the venom but couldn’t avoid the ordinary bodily fluids, so I just took the hits. As they accumulated, I ended up bathing in the bodily fluids.

“The smell is real…!”

I’d rather bathe in blood than deal with the sticky, slippery, foul-smelling tentacle fluids that caused a strong sense of physiological disgust.

At least it wasn’t reproductive fluids. If it were, I might have given up on the battle and retreated.

– Ugh!

…Oops, missed one.

“Kk…!”

A tentacle whip struck directly on my breastplate. The impact reached inside my armor, causing me to exhale sharply and stumble backward.

“Are you okay?!”

Friede, who followed behind, leaped over me and shouted. The black iron greatsword, like a guillotine, severed Gagnagle’s arm as he desperately tried to dodge.

“I’m fine!”

I corrected my wavering posture, rushed forward again, and slashed through the tentacles flying towards Friede.

It wasn’t just for show. I couldn’t deflect all the tentacles, so I had been taking a few hits here and there, but I managed to hold my ground.

It was all thanks to the armor of the former lady.

If it weren’t for the strength unique to the Woon Iron, my arms and legs would have broken long ago, turning into a gruesome sight.

“Ugh! Just die already-!”

Gagnagle, who had regenerated his arm, thrashed wildly with his mouth tentacles as if he were about to explode in anger.

The pleading stance has become awkward. At times like this, you should kneel from your knees. Oh, could it be because you don’t have any?

I smirked mockingly at him, raising only the corners of my mouth.

Yes, it must be frustrating.

Pouring out magic power, even the royal knights would have been beheaded by now, but he had fallen to the level of taunting due to being blocked by just one suit of armor.

His tentacles could easily crush a person into a pulp with a single blow, but they couldn’t destroy the enchanted armor.

On the other hand, I could slice through his body like mud.

Even though he could regenerate, being able to inflict damage was a satisfying enough result. His regenerative abilities were not infinite.

“If I keep cutting, he’ll eventually die.”

A mage who came out with only a robe on his bare body, and a knight armed with enchanted armor and a sacred sword.

The overwhelming equipment gap was filling the skill gap between Ganagle and me.

Therefore, I took on defense, while Freide took on offense.

Her greatsword could cut through a much wider range of flesh than my longsword, and if I were Freide, I could even block attacks that would cause injury with my armor.

“Yes, you will die!”

Freide landed, slicing off Ganagle’s arm and then spinning around to cut his thigh.

“Ugh, you little brat…!”

Ganagle staggered, losing balance. The flesh-seedlings he spat out in retaliation only destroyed the barren ground.

“Well done, keep it up! Leave the defense to me!”

“Got it!”

I charged forward as Freide retreated, cutting off the black tentacles that emerged from the ground.

“Haah!”

Toxic liquid burst out.

Freide emerged again, wielding her greatsword like a fan to deflect the toxic liquid, while I used Edelmut’s sword to sever the tentacles targeting Freide.

A coordinated attack like gears meshing together.

“Ugh…! There’s still a lot to give up-!”

Freide and I carved numerous wounds into Ganagle’s body, and as the accumulated wounds approached fatal levels, he sacrificed his followers to restore his body.

“Phew… it’s really tough.”

Our strength was dwindling, and our followers were being wiped out. Which side would prevail in the end? The outcome of this battle depended on that.

“Well, there’s not much left anyway.”

In my opinion, it would probably be the latter. While the followers of the Abyss Sect were being killed off one by one by assassins, Ganagle’s attacks were not enough to overwhelm us.

“Take this-!”

“Eliaenel!”

The Abyssal Call, a technique that must be guarded against thoroughly, could also be blocked by Edelmut’s sacred barrier.

Of course, once it was unleashed, it couldn’t be stopped anymore… but that was a fact known only to Freide and me.

“I blocked it again…!”

“Of course I blocked it, do you think I’d just let it hit me?”

Ganagle fought cautiously, excessively guarding against the Abyssal Call that could not be used more than four times, while trying to conserve his energy.

Yes, he had to conserve it. The Abyss Priests may not have a limit on the number of times they can use magic, but their magic power is not infinite.

“Octopus pig, it seems like your magic power is running out, huh? Well, your weight may be three times that of others, but that doesn’t mean your magic power is three times as well!”

“You, you’ve been noisy since earlier!”

“Who’s making noise? You’re the one being louder!”

If he were to recklessly use high-level magic like the Abyssal Call, his internal magic power would be depleted in an instant, so unless he was confident he could kill with it, he had no choice but to hesitate.

“Cough!”

“Oh, God, please save me…!”

While the guy hesitated, the members of the Abyss Sect who were supposed to be his recovery potion turned into corpses instead.

…If I do this right, I can win without even drawing the Holy Sword.

I’ve been saving the Holy Sword until all the members of the Abyss Sect are wiped out in case an enemy witnesses it and runs away… Maybe there was no need to do that.

Since the assassins were fighting better than expected, the only way for the members of the Abyss Sect to escape was to die and let their souls flee.

◆◆

“This, this is insane! I can’t do this anymore!”

“Are you betraying the sect? You filthy heretic!”

A disciple who dropped his weapon as if his will was broken and defected, and a bishop-class disciple who cursed at him.

“If you want to die, then die yourself, you bastard! Where do you see victory in that!”

“How dare you…!”

As they exchanged sharp curses with each other, assassins rushed in like a whirlwind, brandishing their bloodied weapons.

“Wait, I surrender—”

How foolish.

You should surrender while looking at your opponent, will the assassin accept that?

– Thud!

A dagger pierced the bewildered disciple’s forehead, and the head of the bishop who was desperately trying to cast a spell twisted and fell off.

There was no doubt it was an instant death. Beyond the two writhing bodies covered in blood, the angry disciples’ outburst turned into a stream of blood.

They had no chance of winning. Even if they desperately joined forces, they were either thinking of fleeing or fighting each other.

The number of disciples began to decrease rapidly.

◆◆

The tide of victory began to tilt uncontrollably at some point.

The casualties on this side were all seven assassins. On the other hand, except for two, the members of the Abyss Sect were wiped out, and Ganagle’s momentum was also waning.

On the other hand, Freide and I were somewhat tired but still in good shape.

The blood and sweat shed in training never betray their master. The special training at the mansion greatly raised our lowest point.

Even though we would have been panting and exhausted before, we still had enough stamina.

“Aaah! Ganagle!”

Not long after, a crossbow bolt shot by Aidan pierced the head of the remaining disciple, and Baynem’s sword pierced the heart of the last remaining bishop.

The disciples of the Subinrant were completely wiped out.

“Now, you’re the only one left. How do you feel?”

Only Ganagle Feitan, their bishop, who had no way to recover his body, and fourteen enemies surrounding him remained.

“If you have any last words, say them now. You won’t be able to speak soon.”

On the lake of bodily fluids and flesh, the leader who lost his followers and was left alone whimpered with cold sweat, like a frightened animal. It didn’t take long for that whimper to turn into a pig-like squeal.