episode_0239

Two Conflicting Powers

“The Holy Ring’s Radiance… That trump card Aria was able to draw out… that person has finally brought it out too.”

“This is troublesome… It was already quite difficult when she transformed into something similar to the Holy Ring’s Radiance earlier… and now that she’s become a complete form, I have a feeling it’ll get even tougher… Rapien!! Are you almost done yet?!”

“Yes… Yes!! Since it’s a power I haven’t used in a long time, gathering the energy is very difficult…!!”

In response to Cecilia’s question about whether she had gathered enough power, Rapien replied with a flustered expression that gathering the power was tricky because it was her first time using it in a long while. Realizing that Rapien still needed more time, Cecilia shaped the magical power gathered in her hands into a whip-like form and spoke to Merzel.

“It looks like we’ll have to hold out longer, Merzel. By the way, isn’t there any way to separate the divine power from Remie?”

“If there were, we could have saved the prisoners in the cave… but in the current situation, it seems we won’t even have time to look for a way.”

“Ugh… Viola and Aria seemed to have removed the divine power on their own… There’s no helping it… Let’s just try to subdue Remie without killing her… even if it’s difficult.”

“Subdue me, you say… I wonder if that will be easy, demon…! Hyaaah!!!”

The moment Cecilia was persuading Merzel to try subduing Remie, Remie, hearing those words, grew greatly intrigued and raised her sword high. Then, as she immediately slammed her sword onto the ground, the divine power condensed within Remie’s sword instantly burst forth as powerful energy, heading towards Cecilia and Merzel, and Cecilia and Merzel urgently combined their magic and divine power to create a powerful wall, beginning to block Remie’s divine power, which was approaching while splitting the ground.

So equally matched were their powers that Remie’s divine power couldn’t even push, let alone break through, the wall created by the two of them, and Cecilia and Merzel were blocking Remie’s power with all their might.

“Ugh…!! Th-That’s truly incredible power…!! Perhaps because she transformed with the Holy Ring’s Radiance, she’s able to release the divine power that strengthens her sword as an attack…!!”

“It seems she released the divine power that was condensed in her sword, Cecilia…!! Be careful…!! Now Remie will attack us in various ways…!!”

“You’ve made quite a sturdy wall… But why are magic and divine power merging…!! Ugh… Do… do not doubt…”

Remie, who had been admiring the wall created by Cecilia and Merzel, began to question the merging of magic and divine power. However, due to Camilla’s divine power, Remie’s emotions were forcibly manipulated, causing her to abandon her doubts, and Cecilia, seeing this, was startled and spoke to Merzel.

“That’s it, Merzel…!! Remie might be able to shed the divine power, just like Aria and Viola…!!”

“What do you mean, Cecilia…? Explain to me…”

“Remie currently has a vulnerability where she’s strongly affected by Camilla’s divine power whenever there’s a gap, to the point her emotions are manipulated…!! If so, wouldn’t it be possible with my magic and your divine power…?!”

“…!! You mean it might be possible for Remie, who has a vulnerability to the divine power’s influence, unlike the prisoners… I will follow your word, Cecilia… but the problem right now is…”

Merzel agreed with Cecilia’s conjecture that Remie had a vulnerability to Camilla’s divine power, and by exploiting that vulnerability, Remie might be able to escape Camilla’s divine power. However, before that, Merzel was troubled by the fact that to succeed, they would have to penetrate Remie’s attacks, which had become stronger due to her transformation with the Holy Ring’s Radiance.

“Even the wall we created by combining our strengths possesses power almost equal to Remie’s attacks after her transformation with the Holy Ring’s Radiance. But if Remie exerts even stronger power than this… it might be too much for the two of us to defeat her, even if we combine our strength…!!”

“Ugh… Somehow, we need to penetrate her attacks and make contact… As you said, the power emanating from Remie right now is certainly very strong. But we’re two, so couldn’t we attack in various ways, Merzel? And… we haven’t even unleashed our maximum power yet, have we?”

“…!! Are you really sure about this, Cecilia…? If we unleash our maximum power… we might become completely exhausted due to the immediate depletion of our energy, making further combat impossible…”

“Perhaps… we might even get surrounded and ganged up on by other followers. This barrier will also disappear once my power runs out… Still, if it means weakening a powerful force like the Holy Ring’s Radiance from the cult, isn’t it worth challenging, Merzel?”

“A challenge, huh… While it might not be suitable for the current situation… still, if we can eliminate such a massive force… Yes, I will gladly do so.”

Ultimately, Cecilia and Merzel, who decided to pour all their power into defeating and saving Remie, nodded and immediately split up, moving to either side. Seeing Cecilia and Merzel emerge from behind the wall and split to either side, Remie gathered divine power into her sword and shield and spoke.

“So you’ve finally come out from behind the wall. Perhaps because it was a wall of combined divine power and magic, my divine power couldn’t properly penetrate it… As expected, you’re not opponents to be trifled with.”

“Don’t think this is the end, Remie. We also had a trump card hidden in our hearts, just like you, didn’t we?”

“A trump card? What is th—… Hm?!”

When Cecilia said that they also had a trump card, Remie wondered what it was. At that moment, Cecilia gathered magical power from her entire body, spread two wings, and soared into the sky. Cecilia’s two wings began to take on the form of burning black flames, and her hands also started to be covered in magical mist. Seeing Cecilia emitting black, mist-like magic from her horns, Remie recalled the forms of demons she had learned about before and was filled with admiration.

“To think I would witness the forms of demons said to have existed in ancient times… with my own eyes like this… How truly bizarre… Hm?”

“It’s not just Lady Cecilia, Saintess Remie… I didn’t want to bring out this power again… but for Lady Cecilia, I will gladly…!!”

Remie, who had been admiring Cecilia’s form, was startled to see Merzel also gathering divine power from her entire body. And a moment later, seeing Merzel emitting divine power that glowed like an afterglow from her hands and eyes, Remie realized that, though wingless, Merzel was certainly in the form of a battle-ready angel, as she had learned, and was filled with admiration.

“Truly admirable… It is indeed astonishing. To think the forms of angels and demons I heard about from that person are before my eyes. And to think the forms of angels and demons, who used to fight each other, are now standing shoulder-to-shoulder, showing hostility towards me… It gives me a strange feeling, yet it’s truly admirable…”

“I want to release this power soon, Cecilia. Let’s go quickly.”

“Alright, Merzel!! Then I’m going first!!! Whip Strike!!!”

When Merzel said she disliked transforming into such a divine-power-filled form, Cecilia moved quickly for her sake, making her whip move like a snake, trying to pierce Remie directly. Remie then blocked Cecilia’s whip with her divine-power-infused shield. However, it seemed Cecilia’s attack power had definitely changed from before, as Remie’s shield—no, the hand holding the shield—was trembling slightly as she blocked Cecilia’s attack.

‘Incredible power…!! Power that could have pierced even my armor…!!’

“Regret Blow…!!”

“….!!”

The moment Remie was slightly flustered by the power of Cecilia’s whip, Merzel instantly approached Remie and swung her glaive, attacking her. Remie quickly blocked Merzel’s glaive with her sword, and so Remie clenched her teeth, blocking Cecilia’s whip with one hand and Merzel’s glaive with the other.

‘Wh-Wow… they’ve definitely gotten stronger than before… It’s a feint attack similar to before, but the power is different…!! But it’s not enough to be unbeatable…!!’

“Huh…?”

“Hyaaah!!!”

Remie, who had been momentarily flustered by their combined power, soon calmed herself again, let out a shout, and spun her body. As Remie’s sword and shield, which had been blocking their attacks, moved away, Cecilia and Merzel realized that their attacks were now heading towards each other, and immediately extended their hands towards each other, firing shockwaves to propel themselves in opposite directions.

“Gah…! To think she’d redirect our attacks…”

“You two certainly seem to be well-matched. To perform a feint attack from positions directly in line with each other… But because you were so in sync, this crisis has arisen…!!”

“…!!”

Seeing the two of them, who had propelled themselves away to avoid their own attacks, crash into the walls on either side, Remie immediately charged at Merzel. Merzel, momentarily disoriented from hitting the wall, belatedly noticed Remie charging at her and was startled, and Remie immediately tried to thrust her sword at Merzel. However, at that moment, something grabbed her leg, and Remie looked down at her leg, and seeing Cecilia’s whip binding her leg, Remie turned her head to Cecilia and spoke.

“Are you really going to protect this angel to that extent… demon?”

“Of course…!! Merzel is practically my precious family…!! I will never let Merzel get hurt…!!”

“Precious family…”

Merzel, seeing Cecilia holding the whip that bound Remie’s leg with both hands to prevent Remie from reaching her, seemed slightly moved by Cecilia calling her precious family, and stared blankly at Cecilia. Then, snapping back to attention, she immediately swung her glaive, threatening Remie, and Remie blocked Merzel’s glaive with her sword, saying.

“If this angel is so precious to you… Very well, demon… I suppose it would be best to defeat you first…!!”

“….!!”

“Your binding ability was quite annoying anyway…!!”

Remie, sensing that Cecilia would not allow her to reach Merzel, reversed the power of Cecilia’s whip, releasing her own strength to be pulled towards Cecilia. Cecilia belatedly tried to retract her whip, but Remie, having already reversed the whip’s force, was rapidly rushing towards Cecilia with that momentum, and at that very moment, Merzel frantically ran to protect Cecilia…

“….?! Cough…!”

Suddenly, something blue appeared from the side and kicked Remie, sending her flying to the left. Merzel and Cecilia then got up, staring dumbfounded at the blue entity that had saved them… no, at Rapien, who was wielding a greatsword wreathed in blue energy. Then Cecilia looked at the greatsword Rapien was holding and asked.

“Ra… Rapien. Is that greatsword… the ultimate weapon you mentioned, or something…?”

“That’s right, Cecilia~! This greatsword was crafted from a golem’s core that I found in an ancient ruin. It requires quite a lot of energy to awaken this greatsword’s core… Hehehe… Anyway, thanks to you two, I’m able to use this greatsword after such a long time~!”

“A powerful energy emanates from that greatsword…!! Then is the core of that greatsword pouring power into you…!!”

“That’s right. It requires a lot of energy to activate… but it gives me that much… no, even more power, which is why it’s my ultimate weapon. However… if I use this, I’ll be completely drained afterwards as a side effect.”

“What a truly astonishing coincidence. Our current state also grants great power, but we’ll be drained afterward as a side effect. So let’s hurry and defeat Remie, Rapien!!”

“Understood!! Then I’ll go first…!!”

As Cecilia explained that she and Merzel would also soon run out of power, Rapien immediately rushed towards Remie, who had been knocked away by her kick. As Remie recovered and stood up, Rapien swung her greatsword at her, and Remie immediately blocked the greatsword with her shield, saying.

“What incredible power…!! Where on earth does such power come from, Mimic?”

“Before I noticed your existence, I was an explorer…!! That’s why I continuously refined the golem’s core I found in an ancient ruin and created this greatsword…!! And so, receiving the golem’s power like this…!!!”

“…!! Ugh…!! Wh-What on earth is this power…?!”

The moment the blue energy pulsated even more vigorously from Rapien’s greatsword, Remie realized the weight from Rapien’s greatsword had increased, and was greatly flustered. Just as Remie gripped her shield with both hands to block Rapien’s greatsword, Cecilia and Merzel instantly reached Remie’s sides, and Remie, who had forgotten about the two of them while focusing on Rapien’s greatsword, became even more flustered.

“Th-This damn it…!!”

“Then here I go, Merzel!!! We’re doing it together!!!”

“Understood, Cecilia!!”

While Rapien suppressed Remie’s movements, Cecilia and Merzel immediately rushed to Remie and simultaneously placed their hands on her waist. Then they began to pour divine power and magic into Remie, and Remie suffered great pain as the two people’s energies flowed into her body.

“Kyahhh…!!! G-Get your hands off me…?!”

“Please hold still for now, Saintess-nim? Then these two might… be able to heal you?”

The moment Remie frantically tried to escape, several golem hands emerged from Rapien’s greatsword and seized Remie’s entire body, preventing her from escaping. Remie then felt Camilla’s divine power, the two people’s divine power, and magic clashing within her body, causing her great pain.

“Kyahhh!!! St-Stop!! Something… something feels like it’s disappearing!!!”

“Don’t worry, Remie. Lady Cecilia and I are currently drawing out the harmful elements inside your body. Cecilia!! Give it more power!!”

“Alright…!! Vanish, impure Camilla’s divine power!!”

“Kyahhhhh!!!”

Remie was in great agony, but the two didn’t stop, continuing to pour their power into Remie’s body. Thus, Remie began to emit a bright light from her entire body, and soon after, she unleashed a powerful flash. Afterward, as the light began to fade, Rapien released Remie, and Remie collapsed on the spot, unconscious. And Cecilia, Merzel, and Rapien also slumped down on the spot, sighing simultaneously and speaking.

“Haaah… It’s a good thing Rapien was unstable with Camilla’s divine power… Otherwise, subduing her like this would have been difficult…”

“First… first, how about we rest a bit and then continue our conversation, Cecilia…? Perhaps because I used a long-dormant power… I’m truly exhausted…”

“Me too… This… I can’t fight anymore… Ughhh…”

Exhausted from pouring out all their strength, the three slumped down on the spot to rest. Such was the intensity of the power unleashed that Rapien reverted back to her box form, and Cecilia and Merzel’s powers, which had emanated from their bodies, also began to fade. Thus, thanks to pouring out all their strength, the three were able to defeat Remie, one of Camilla’s powerful forces, a Child of Light.