Chapter 113 Does stopping time really have its perks?
Holy Sword Tournament Arc II
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(POV: Akashic Records)
Galtar's grip tightened around the hilt of his magic sword, ready to unleash its power upon Lirien.
Soon, he summoned a swirling torrent of water.
The knights gasped in awe as the spiraling water enveloped Galtar, reinforcing his stand.
"Behold the power of a Holy Knight!" Galtar declared, his voice infused with both pride and warning.
"...Sure..."
Lirien remained unaffected, her countenance eerily calm amidst chaos.
As Galtar prepared to charge, a sudden dome of dense mana expanded from a single point, encapsulating both Lirien and the bewildered knights in an eerie stillness.
Confusion engulfed the knights as they exchanged worried glances.
"What in the name of the four continents is going on?" one knight questioned frantically.
Another knight replied in a voice laden with uncertainty, "I know not, but it must be her doing!"
Within the mana-charged dome, time itself froze.
Galtar and his knights remained suspended mid-motion, their swords poised to strike, but their bodies locked in an unyielding limbo.
Lirien moved unhurriedly past them, her expression void of any amusement or malice.
"....I'm sorry about this...."
As she distanced herself from the frozen warriors, one by one, Galtar and his knights were suddenly stricken with deep, gaping sword wounds that tore through their chests and sides. The once impenetrable armor now gave way to the merciless onslaught, crimson blood splattering across the battlefield in grotesque patterns. Agony coursed through their veins, threatening to engulf their sanity, yet they remained alive, tormented by the excruciating pain that seemed never-ending.
No one could fathom the source of their torment.
"....At least, they're not dead...." she spoke innocently.
...
Amidst the chaotic scramble of panicked nobles, Lirien stepped through the throng, her purposeful stride directing her towards the lone knight overseeing the evacuation efforts at the crowded exit. The knight planted himself firmly in her path, his sword raised defensively.
"Halt, you cannot pass," the knight bellowed, his voice drowned by the clamor of the dispersing crowd.
Only nobles were allowed to cross, and simply by looking at her ragged robe, he could tell she wasn't of the upper class.
"...Please...?" Lirien spoke softly.
"No means no. Step back, lady."
"….Pretty please, kind sir....?" she said, beaming with innocence.
"I'm not joking, you insolent bitch!" The knight's patience wore thin.
Before his fist could connect with her delicate features, his arm lay severed on the ground, blood spurting forth in a crimson arc.
The knight couldn't fathom how this happened.
"ARRRGGHHHHH!!"
A cry of unimaginable pain escaped the knight's lips, echoing through the now-silent crowd of nobles, who turned their gaze towards the scene unfolding before them.
"Who is she?" a baron shouted, his voice trembling with fear.
"I'm not sticking around to find out!" a viscount shouted, bolting towards an alternative exit.
The nobles, like a startled flock of birds, scattered in all directions, some pushing through the jam-packed exit route, others abandoning any sense of order and simply seeking survival.
Lirien, her face stained with the knight's blood, scratched her head in bewilderment.
"....Why are they running....?"
Beneath her feet, the knight lay writhing in agony, tears mixing with the mud below.
"H-how did she d--?!"
"....I hope your comrades come to your aid...."
With that, Lirien stepped over the fallen knight, his pitiful cries fading into her distant wake. Her gaze now fixated on the armored carriages that housed the royal family and esteemed church figures.
"....Oh, there they are...."
The armored carriage rolled forward.
Before it was the Dragon's Gate.
It was a marvel of dragon engineering, constructed during the tumultuous warring period between the three continents. In those dark times, the people of the Dragon Continent had sent spies to erect gates all across the Human Continent, erecting them as potential gateways for invasion, making war an easier endeavor. But that was the past, and now, with the peace treaty firmly in place, the Dragon Gates were repurposed as a crucial element of transportation within and between continents.
Limited solely to the most esteemed figures in society, those who possessed the sacred rune which synchronized them with the gates. The two royal families, their status ensconced in regal pomp, had already passed through the gate, returning to the comfort of the capital city.
On the flipside, Archbishop Grev sat in his luxurious carriage. Two priests, their faces fraught with concern, flanked him, their eyes darting nervously as they awaited the whole procession's departure.
Grev held in his hand a small metal box adorned with an array of precious gems. It emanated a faint, captivating glow, signifying its significance.
"We must make haste, knight! Time presses upon us like a relentless storm," Grev's voice resounded, laced with a mixture of authority and anxiety. His grip tightened on the box, as if the gems within held the key to their very survival.
The knight, his face etched with a mixture of loyalty and apprehension, bowed deeply. "Apologies, Your Eminence. I shall ensure we move swiftly yet safely."
In order to traverse the Dragon Gate, the knight knew he would need to engulf his body in an unprecedented amount of mana, channeling it to synchronize with the rune possessed by Archbishop Grev. With fingers that trembled ever so slightly, the knight adjusted his grip on the carriage's reins, fully aware of the consequences of failure.
If he didn't synchronize well with the rune, he'd be vaporized on entry through the gates.
...
"...Oh...?"
Lirien's keen eyesight locked onto the carriage.
She could smell the Archbishop?s mana.
With calmness that defied the gravity of the situation, she used her dome ability, erecting a formidable barrier that stretched far and wide, enveloping an expansive radius in her mana.
As the barrier extended its protective embrace, an otherworldly hush descended upon the area. Leaves, caught in the midst of their descent, abruptly froze in mid-air, as if time itself had been momentarily halted.
Silence blanketed the surroundings, broken only by the rhythmic cadence of Lirien's footsteps, their resonance the sole testament to her audacious intrusion. With practiced ease, she moved towards the carriage, her lithe form effortlessly lending strength as she lifted the shocked Archbishop onto her sturdy shoulders. The sacred box, cradled gently in her grip emitted an ethereal glow.
With the Archbishop securely in her possession, Lirien took her leave.
Then, time resumed for them again.
"Let's get going," said one of the priests.
"Sure th--" the knight paused with a gasp.
"WHERE'S THE ARCHBISHOP?!"
There was instant panic in the carriage.
The knight, his face etched with alarm, turned towards the back, his eyes widening in horror as he realized Gerv really had vanished.
Panic gripped the air, a cacophony of voices uniting in a chorus of fear and confusion.
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