Chapter 86: Suppression
Amid the commoners weeping, tightly hugging the bodies of their deceased families, warriors battled ferociously.
The fruit stall in the market was stained with blood, and mercenaries with severed limbs lay unattended everywhere.
The scene diverged greatly from the usual peaceful Selonia.
Magicians forming the magic corps had occupied Selonia.
They were no longer just a rebel force; it felt more like a war between nations.
But the holy kingdom had not failed to resist.
An elite unit had been dispatched to retake the surrounding areas of the castle, and a large number of troops were quickly mobilized to suppress the rebels.
However, the outcome had not been favorable.
Calling it suppression was an understatement; it was more like clearing out enemies from their own front yard.
Retake? What retake? They had decided to hold out for reinforcements from neighboring kingdoms.
In Selonia, cries of grief from the people echoed everywhere.
Iriele, wearing armor stained with red blood, muttered as she struck down a knight in front of her.
No matter how many I kill, they just keep coming
She wondered if the Saint was safe
Though she should have been focusing on suppressing the forces in front of her, she couldnt shake off thoughts of the Saint.
The idea that she might never see him again made her grip her weapon tighter.
Even her already formidable weapon, infused with divine power, emitted an even brighter light as it sliced through the knights.
The knight who attempted to block her was instantly cut down, sword and all.
She had been defending Selonia by the Popes orders.
The troops she had been given were substantial.
With them, she had resisted the overwhelming forces pouring into Selonia.
Yet, despite fighting alongside such a large force, the situation did not seem to improve.
Despite the countless enemies she had killed, she still saw armored troops beyond the horizon.
Moreover, these werent just low-skilled soldiers. Occasionally, a sword infused with aura flew at her, sending chills down her spine.
But she was the Saintess. Using her immense divine power granted by God, she showed no signs of fatigue, even after slaying so many.
The only problem was that, unlike her, others had reached their physical limits.
Gasp Gasp
Ugh
Knights desperately parried flying swords, panting heavily.
Priests and clergy were exhausted, having used up their divine power to heal these knights.
The situation wasnt great.
They must have been exhausted too, fighting non-stop, without sleep or rest.
If only the Saint was here
She thought inadvertently and immediately shook her head.
The Saint was likely facing a much tougher battle than them.
Wishing for his help just because things had gotten a bit tough was shameless.
She clenched her teeth and swung her hand.
The divine power emanating from her hand transformed into an aura blade and flew out.
Aaargh!
Pl-please
Slash-
Due to its vast range, dozens before her were instantly slain.
The cutting power was truly immense.
Everyone, whether they wore armor or tried to block, was cut down.
A brief silence ensued. Even if the rebel forces had the upper hand, no one willingly wanted to face such a brutal death.
Another sword energy flew in front of them.
Swooosh-
Kuhuk!
Uaaaak!
Just like her, dozens of people were cut down at once by the tremendous destructive power, and Iriel turned around.
There stood Zik, holding the scabbard in his left hand and the handle in his right, along with a girl.
Iriel smiled as she looked at them.
Feia youve come too, Zik.
At her words, Zik quickly bowed his head.
Greetings, Saintess. I apologize for not being able to follow proper etiquette due to the situation.
Dont worry, Saintess, now that Im here!
The girl called Feia said, acting coyly.
Upon hearing this, Zik frowned and shook his head.
Iriel cut down the knight in front of her and said,
Its fine. But Zik, was it okay that you were not following the Saint?
It was the Saints command.
Pardon?
Iriel asked with a puzzled face.
Zik emotionlessly slaughtered the soldiers in front of him as he spoke.
The Saint ordered me to assist Iriel.
What?!
She exclaimed, looking baffled.
What does that mean?
No, what kind of confidence did he have to assist her?
Among all the black magicians in history, she was facing the most notorious necromancer!
Ray might not have known, but Zik was the youngest swordmaster on the continent.
Surely, casting magic by her side would have been a tremendous help. So, why did he send such a person to her?
Iriel did not understand, and she was slightly irritated.
Why did he send such important high-level personnel to her instead of the more challenging battlefield?
She was angry, but paradoxically, she wasnt feeling bad.
Her heart was racing.
Unfamiliar emotions kept popping up, making her flustered.
Because she had felt dirty and ugly emotions that people her age wouldnt usually experience, she hadnt felt emotions that were common for her age.
Could this be similar to the feeling of having a close friend? If this was what it felt like, she didnt dislike it.
The feeling that someone put her first before their own safety.
Maybe this was what it felt like to have affection for someone.
Suddenly, Iriel started cutting down soldiers in front of her.
Her movements became more intense.
Idiot!
She clenched her lips and charged into the enemy lines elegantly.
Dont die! Ill come to assist you shortly!
Before departing for the border.
As Ray finished preparing to leave, Zik approached him as if he had been watching from somewhere.
He knelt on one knee toward Ray and said,
I will join you.
The resolve in his eyes and his well-controlled movements conveyed his determination.
There had been patients with similar eyes at the hospital.
The eyes of those who were ready to face death.
Ray chuckled and gently tapped Ziks forehead.
Dont follow me. Stay in Selonia.
He felt odd being addressed like an older brother by someone who was probably younger than him.
As Zik didnt have any siblings, it was a strange sensation.
Zik shook his head and said,
Your safety takes precedence over the command of the Saint.
Oh, you see, youll just be in the way even if you are here.
I dont mean to boast, but I possess considerable power. I beseech you, please dont refuse me.
Feeling his resolute will, Ray sighed.
Then, give it a try.
Ray smirked and looked at him, speaking.
Yes?
You said you have considerable power, right? Prove it now.
.
Zik stood up. The Saint was probably telling him to prove his readiness, right?
Understood.
His eyes changed instantly. His calm eyes were now assessing Rays posture.
With his skewed stance, there were countless openings, and his swaying legs seemed to be provoking an attack that would surely be successful.
Please forgive my impoliteness, Saint.
Zik gripped the handle of his sword, and at the moment Ray exhaled, he aimed for his side with the back of the sword.
In an instant, the trajectory of the extended sword suggested he would ungracefully fall over.
But something impossible happened.
Hold.
The sword froze in its trajectory.
Ma, magic? How on earth?
A Saint using mana? What was happening?
What he used was a high-level mana technique, which even an academy headmaster would struggle to wield.
An absolute magical technique against lower mana entities.
It forcibly gathered mana around the opponent to halt their movement.
This meant it was possible to even stop the opponents heart with mana.
However, this only worked on lower entities.
No magician from any continent could forcibly halt him, a sword master, in his tracks.
Yet, his body froze in the motion of extending the sword.
Zik was dumbfounded, as if he had eaten honey, witnessing a magical technique unfold before his eyes that he had only read about in books.
Ever since he became a master, he didnt think he could lose to anyone.
Even in a match with a knight commander, he was indifferent, and watching children his age wield a sword made him yawn.
Yet, he couldnt win this time.
No, he was stopped even before he could attempt.
Ray opened his mouth and manipulated the mana again.
Cancel.
The body that felt like it would never move again started moving.
The halted sword began to move again, and the drawn sword aimed straight at Ray.
Oh, no!
Even as the sword extended, Zik was startled.
He didnt expect it to move all at once like this.
Even if the sword energy wasnt frosty, it would be quite a blow if it hit.
Clang-
But what he was worried about didnt happen.
The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out.
In Rays hand was a small scalpel.
The scalpel, materialized with mana, flicked away Ziks sword.
The resilience felt in his hand was substantial.
As his hand tingled, Zik looked at him.
What in the world
What could be his true nature? At this age, being an Aura user would already qualify him as a genius, but his skills were beyond that.
Moreover, not being known to the public despite his skills meant he hadnt revealed his magical prowess to anyone, right?
At his age, hiding ones power was not an easy task. At this age, one would normally want to show off and be proud of their abilities.
Even Zik himself wouldnt have been able to do it if he hadnt received a strict education from a young age.
But he heard that Ray, who used to be a commoner, couldnt have received such systematic education from a young age like him.
Did he instinctively know that hiding his power would be beneficial for him?
He definitely didnt have a proper mentor. He had self-taught his magic and swordsmanship to this level, and he had the cunning mind to hide his powers even after acquiring them.
A shiver ran down Ziks back.
If Ray had tried to kill him, he would have lost his life in an instant.
Truly, if he had gone after him, he would have only been a hindrance.
Without saying a word, Ray gently tapped Ziks shoulder.
While I am gone, stay with Iriel. Although shes a fool, she has her own way of thinking.
Iriel, who had been called the best saint ever produced by the holy kingdom, and praised for her devil-like brain and perfect handling of things, was now referred to as a fool who only thought in her own way.
At that, Zik couldnt say a word, he could only nod blankly.
Thus, Ray went towards the border, and Zik stayed in Selonia, helping Iriel.
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