Chapter 33: Saints And Saintesses (5)
Even though it was just the beginning, she was so astonished that she forgot to breathe when she blocked the Aura Blade.
Iriel uncrossed her arms and blocked Pias sword with her left hand.
Her hand, enveloped in divine power and bathed in golden light, was so bright that it was barely recognizable as a hand.
Was it because the power was a direct gift from a god?
She possessed the divine power to block the Aura Blade.
Pia quickly pulled back her sword and retreated, concealing herself once more.
Pia was noticeably unsettled by the unexpected turn of events.
Blocking the Aura Blade? And whats with that reaction speed?
It was evident that she wouldnt easily fall for any provocation.
However, she moved as if she had anticipated Pias retreat.
With her hand still glowing with golden light, Iriel accurately pinpointed her location and charged at her.
Closing the distance in an instant, she swung her sword, and a metallic clashing sound echoed.
Cling-
It was hard to believe that it was the sound of the sword and hand colliding.
Iriel seized the sword with her left hand and aimed for her side with her right hand.
Unable to pull back her sword, she relinquished it.
Pia, who had retreated, managed to dodge the attack aimed at her side.
But she was now without her sword.
How was she supposed to fight this person unarmed?
Moreover, there was a monster in human form on the other side.
Cloaked in divine power and under the protection of a god, it didnt allow anything to get close.
It was powerful enough to block the Aura Blade.
But Pia didnt surrender.
To a swordmaster, a weapon was meaningless in the first place.
As she picked up a suitable twig lying around and infused it with mana, an illusory haze rose once more.
Seeing this, Iriel discarded the sword she had taken from her and smiled.
I think the gap in strength is clear
Do you know? You might get hit even once.
Do you believe that a single attack could kill me?
Pia surveyed her surroundings.
Many hadnt discovered her yet, but she was certain that she could heal as much as she was injured.
If she failed to cut off her breath with a single attack, she would lose.
You wont know until you try.
I dont particularly enjoy moving, but
As she spoke, Iriels figure blurred momentarily, then her left hand suddenly lunged forward.
Pia quickly turned her head to dodge and readied herself for the next attack.
This time, the right hand?
Contrary to her expectation, as she tracked her right hand, Iriel spun around and stabbed with her left hand again.
As Pia raised the twig to block the attack, a tingling sensation shot through her palm.
Ugh
Both the strength and the movement were in no way inferior to hers.
In fact, they were powerful enough to push her back.
Iriel was truly terrifying, charging at her while enveloped in divine power like an aura.
When Pia put some distance between them, Iriel addressed her.
Now do you understand? The difference in strength is clear. As we mentioned earlier, we are content with just the saint. So please hand over the saint.
I dont want to.
Iriels eyebrows furrowed slightly.
You are quite obstinate.
She stated, shaking her head.
Is it acceptable to consider your opinion as the guardian of the elves as the opinion of all?
Most will share my views.
Then thats good.
With the god on her side, Iriel had nothing to fear.
Even when dealing with elves, the gods were on their side.
If the elves, mere creations of the gods, feared and defied the gods will, it would be an act against their own beliefs.
From the beginning, the elves had no choice. Once the will of the gods was revealed to her, their thoughts and wills became irrelevant.
Divine power swirled around her. Pia shivered at the light filled with unwavering faith.
Bless. Holy Seal. Holy Activation.
Iriel cast a blessing upon herself.
The saints blessing, far superior to that of a high priest, elevated all her abilities.
With just one Bless, her blessing could enable a regular person to contend with well-trained soldiers.
Stacking three such blessings, the impending fight was set to be unlike any she had faced before.
Iriel stomped on the ground.
Her figure vanished, only to reappear in the sky, descending in front of Pia.
Pia instinctively blocked the incoming attack with a branch, but the recoil caused her to lose her grip.
Then, she twisted her body to evade Iriels incoming right hand, but this left her side exposed.
Ugh
Drip, drip.
She had avoided a large wound, but the amount of blood she was losing was not insignificant.
Lacking knowledge of any healing magic, all she could do was cover the wound with her hand.
But her opponent wouldnt grant her a reprieve.
Inevitably, as the relentless attacks continued, more wounds formed.
Having lost her branch, Pia, like Iriel, had no choice but to coat her hand with mana and fight.
She was already outmatched with a sword, but fighting in this unfamiliar manner made the disparity even more pronounced.
The onlookers from the battalion didnt dare to intervene.
If they charged in now, they would only obstruct the saint.
All they could do was ready divine power in case the saint sustained an injury.
But judging by the current situation, it didnt seem like Iriel would allow herself to be harmed.
To anyone observing, the difference was stark. Iriel was at ease, while Pia was on the defensive.
Desperation was evident on Pias face as she desperately defended herself.
Having lost her weapon and fighting with unfamiliar hands, her situation was dire.
Furthermore, the wound on her side hindered her movements.
On the other hand, Iriel continued to inflict wounds on Pias body with each attack.
Though not large, the accumulating wounds couldnt be ignored.
The word death flickered in Pias eyes.
Aira took the lead and sprinted forward.
Her figure, running out of the village and into the forest, was not flustered.
Her demeanor remained entirely calm.
Unlike Rey, whose noisy footfalls echoed as he ran beside her, her leaps were silent.
However, leaps was not the right term.
She was not pushing off the ground with her legs.
She seemed to float in the air, gliding over the ground.
Whether it was flight magic or some other ability of hers, it was swift enough to easily outpace me.
Even though I was running earnestly, she was still far ahead.
Nevertheless, Rey adjusted his pace so that he could keep up with her.
It was hard to imagine how fast she would be if she ran at her full speed.
She truly is an elf from the legends.
The High Elf, rumored to have been created by a god himself.
I hadnt realized until now, but I could feel it.
That she was a High Elf, comparable to dragons.
In the midst of my admiration, I sensed numerous presences.
There were too many to count accurately, but even a rough estimate exceeded five hundred.
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
Damn, how many people have gathered here?
It was clear that they had come prepared.
If they had brought that many people, they must have been planning for a battle.
At this rate, we might have to face the legendary 17 to 1 odds.
Of course, the remaining 500 or so were Airas responsibility.
Rey, who had been advocating for fairness when sparring with her father Eil, was now as fair as the neighbors dog Baekgus dinner.
Then Aira spoke in an even tone,
Its almost time.
As if to confirm her words, the presence of people intensified.
It felt as if they were right in front of us.
We passed by large trees planted by elves for defense and arrived at a fairly open clearing, where many people were gathered.
There were knights in thick armor and individuals in fine clothes, presumably priests.
The silk grass seemed to glow red in the light, and the color of their clothes blended with the crimson sunset.
The setting sun painted the forest orange, and a heavy scent of blood permeated the arena.
Could it have been because of my profession?
Fortunately, the sight of the blood puddles did not make me feel nauseous or cause me to vomit.
However, the situation was more dire than I had anticipated, and my jaw dropped in shock.
In the center of the clearing, separate from the Holy Kingdoms knights in formation, stood a beautiful woman I had never seen before and an elf I recognized.
It was Pia.
Aira advanced a step without uttering a word.
The Holy Kingdoms knights were startled by the arrival of the newcomers.
The two with pure white hair appeared to be family at first glance.
However, one had pointed ears, indicating that she was an elf.
Conversely, the boy on the right was immediately identified by them as the person they sought.
His pure white hair possessed a divine quality, and they sheathed their swords, kneeling on one knee.
We greet you, Saint!
We greet you, Saint!
The tremendous noise reverberated through the forest, and Iriels gaze shifted to Ray.
She greeted him with a charming smile.
Nice to meet you, Saint. My name is Iriel Velliaz.
Her voice was as enchanting as if it was designed to bewitch people.
But Ray was aware.
It was akin to the business smile of the modern world.
Ray, who had been treated with excessive politeness to the point of exhaustion, immediately recognized it as insincere.
He glanced at Iriel before turning his gaze to Pia.
Her condition was critical; she was severely injured.
Her left arm hung limp, as if dislocated, and she had collapsed, unable to even stand. Yet, she was still channeling mana in her right hand.
Her resolve to protect the village was palpable even from here.
Aira silently approached her.
Then the knights, who had been bowing to Ray, unsheathed their swords and immediately pointed them at her.
It was evident that they had undergone high-level training.
Aira glanced at them and then began to chant.
If you wish to die, continue as you are.
She didnt shed a single tear, just as she had done with the elf.
On the contrary, she wiped her tears away as if inviting them to attack her.
She appeared as powerless as any ordinary person would.
The paladins, priests, and clergy dared not act rashly.
She walked past them calmly, heading towards Pia.
Iriel observed the scene with interest.
Ray also shot them a cold glare before proceeding towards Pia.
Pias condition was severe enough to be deemed critical by modern standards.
Her mind seemed to be half-gone as she mumbled, I must block it.
Ray expertly reset her dislocated left arm and placed his hand on her shoulder.
Crack-
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