Volume 6 Chapter 3 Part 4 (1/2)
”Will s.h.i.+n and the others be alright?”
After s.h.i.+n's party left, Lilis.h.i.+la's group was waiting in her room.
In the current situation, even if they acted, they wouldn't accomplish much. As it was unthinkable that only Eline was under Bulk's command, acting carelessly would have been dangerous.
Waiting without doing anything, though, was painful not only for Lilis.h.i.+la, but also for the knights at her side.
”s.h.i.+n and Yuki will not have any trouble even if they face Eline head on. What we should worry about is the movements of the enemy's other troops.”
Casting Lilis.h.i.+la's worries aside, s.h.i.+baid leant against the wall of the corridor leading to the entrance. His words were filled with the absolute trust he felt towards s.h.i.+n.
Not knowing that s.h.i.+n was a High Human, Lilis.h.i.+la's group was probably worried at the thought of a head-on battle against Eline. Eline's fighting ability was just that great.
”Well then, it appears it is time for us to move too.”
Less than an hour since s.h.i.+n's party left, s.h.i.+baid spoke while staring at one point in the room.
”What happened?”
”There's a group of people walking in this direction. Judging from the fact that they are not hiding their hostile intentions, they must be Bulk's lackeys.”
s.h.i.+baid's words made Lilis.h.i.+la feel more anxious.
On her side there were 4 people, s.h.i.+baid included. Even if they were all competent fighters, depending on the enemy numbers, they might be at an overwhelming disadvantage.
s.h.i.+baid's party left the room, thinking it would be dangerous to fight inside. As they got out, there was a group of people heading towards them.
Leading the group was none other than Bulk himself.
”Oh my, where are we going now?”
”Nowhere that may concern you, Father Bulk.”
”My apologies, but I do have business with Lady Lilis.h.i.+la. If you would kindly accompany me, I am sure Her Highness the Holy Woman would be pleased as well. ”
”Kh!”
The sly grin formed by Bulk's lips made Lilis.h.i.+la feel gooseb.u.mps.
If it was possible, she would have crushed him to the ground, then and there. Her clenched fist and teeth expressed that wish very clearly to anyone who would look at her.
Someone then put a hand on Lilis.h.i.+la's shoulder.
”Lady Lilis.h.i.+la, it appears you do not need to accompany this charming fellow anywhere anymore.”
”Butcould it be that!!”
Lilis.h.i.+la, who had understood the meaning implied by s.h.i.+baid's words, completely changed her expression.
”Yes, I just received contact from Yuki. They are heading here as we speak.”
s.h.i.+baid nodded strongly, and not only Lilis.h.i.+la but also the knights erupted in cheers. At the same time, their hostility flowed freely to the group blocking their way.
”W-what's with those looks? Have you forgotten what it means to defy me!?”
”How could I forget. Or rather, its impossible for me to forget.”
Lilis.h.i.+la could not contain a chuckle, as her body was wrapped in highly dense magic power.
Bulk, feeling the danger emanating from Lilis.h.i.+la's clear intentions of attacking, drew his weapon and stepped forward.
Those behind him also took out their weapons.
”Ko, Konig! Protect me!! You all too, step forward!!!”
”Konig? It can't be, you too?”
Looking at the knights before her, Lilis.h.i.+la too said that name, with surprise in her voice.
Konig was a knight that was dispatched to Balmel, and by that logic, he was not supposed to be here at Palmirack.
”Lady Lilis.h.i.+laI apologize..”
”Do not apologize. I am aware of the circ.u.mstances.”
Konig, who had stepped forward as well, showed eyes clearly filled with regret.
His struggle to stop the body that was moving against his will was palpable to Lilis.h.i.+la, who was also well versed in the ways of fighting.
His regret was felt by the people opposing him, as if it was their own.
”Flee, I beg of you! Or I will cut you down!”
Konig's arms slowly reached the blade at his waist. The brilliantly decorated weapon was the legend-cla.s.s magical sword Haufer.
Haufer, unsheathed with a brilliant sound of metal, sparkled with an almost transparent silver gleam, in utter contrast with its owner's will.
”Is that a real magical blade?”
As he drew the magical blade, an overwhelming pressure emanated from Konig's body, as if to crush his opponents. Despite his manipulated state, his strength did not waver an inch.
Lilis.h.i.+la's party, who was prepared to fight, could not help stiffening before Konig's presence.
”Ha-hahaha. What happened to all your confidence and boasting?”
Noticing Lilis.h.i.+la's party's hesitation, Bulk had regained his composure and was now jeering at them, standing right behind Konig.
None of them, however, had lost to Konig's aura of pressure.
”Well then, I suppose we should start by stopping this man.”
These nonchalant words were spoken by s.h.i.+baid.
His equipment was the same as when he joined with s.h.i.+n's party, light gear covering only part of his body.
The only difference was the silver-colored gauntlet he was now wearing. Lines of black mixed with silver grain covered the whole item.
s.h.i.+baid had materialized one of his original pieces of equipment.
”Hmph. Konig is one of the most capable upper cla.s.s chosen ones. If I were you, I would not boast so quickly.”
Bulk, enjoying the view of Lilis.h.i.+la's party being pressured by Konig, bit back at s.h.i.+baid.
To Bulk, it looked like s.h.i.+baid was just bluffing.
”You petty sc.u.mdo not think that you have angered only Lady Lilis.h.i.+la.”
As s.h.i.+baid uttered those words, the pressure bearing on Lilis.h.i.+la's party suddenly vanished.
Immediately after that, as if the pressure had simply changed targets, the knights standing before Bulk kneeled to the ground.
They looked as if an unseen giant was pus.h.i.+ng on them with all its weight.
”W-what thegah!”
The sight of his knights groveling had shaken Bulk, who too was forced on his knees slightly later.
A pressure so strong, trained knights succ.u.mbed to it: it was impossible for Bulk to resist. He cried, lying on the ground like a flattened frog.
Originally, techniques that pressure the opponent with one's aura or spirit did not have the effect of pus.h.i.+ng the opponent down physically. The pressure was felt simply on an emotional level.
However, in s.h.i.+baid's case it was slightly different.
”I have heard of all your despicable acts. You will not escape me.”
s.h.i.+baid's deeply resonating voice shook Bulk's eardrums. As if responding to his anger, the pressure emanating from s.h.i.+baid grew even more intense.
At the same time, the floor around s.h.i.+baid started cracking.
s.h.i.+baid's main job is Holy Knight. Its role is to be an iron wall, a s.h.i.+eld to repel enemy attacks.
If we were to compare skills that attracts the enemy's attention and pressure enemies into submission. s.h.i.+baid boasts the best apt.i.tude among all the support characters.
Against enemies with great difference in abilities, it even manages to pressure them physically.
”The church headquartersis vibrating?”
Konig, the only one of Bulk's entourage still on his feet, looked at s.h.i.+baid with disbelief in his eyes.
Konig felt that Palmirack itself was resonating with s.h.i.+baid's anger.
”I know you are being controlled, Sir Konig. As I have no way to break that collar, I will have to be somewhat roughI trust you will understand.”
”I would rather be killed than for my blade to slay those without sin”.
”Your spirit is truly commendable.”
s.h.i.+baid's words provoked an explosive acceleration in Konig's movements. The afterglow following his blade swings painted streaks of light in the air.
As a weapon worthy of its ”Legendary” grade, Haufer sliced through the air with little resistance, aiming at s.h.i.+baid's neck.
It all happened in an instant.
Being controlled allowed Konig to perform a movement he would normally find difficult, a swing at his maximum speed.
The blade, however, was stopped right before meeting its target, by a silver gauntlet.
A sharp metallic sound. It was Haufer's cry after grinding against the gauntlet.
The shock of the impact and the difference in quality between the two weapons resulted in only Haufer to be damaged.
A result which left Konig wide-eyed and speechless.
Immediately after that, the gauntlet, which had stopped Haufer, vanished in thin air, together with s.h.i.+baid himself.
”..Go to sleep.”
The instant those words reached Konig's ears, he was already drawing his bladeonly to be hit vertically into the air.
Where Konig was standing just before, now stood s.h.i.+baid, his fist raised in the air. The armor which saved Konig's life so many times on the battlefield now bore a deep dent in the shape of s.h.i.+baid's fist.
Konig, blown in midair by s.h.i.+baid, crashed against the ceiling with roughly the same speed as he had stepped in to swing his blade.
”Gwah!!”
A counter performed after blocking the opponent's attack.
That single blow was enough for Konig's body not to follow its master's will anymore.
Yet the emotion filling Konig's chest was not surprise.
Towards the existence of an overwhelmingly powerful warrior, capable of dealing with upper cla.s.s chosen ones with ease, who did not accept or forgive evil.
Towards the fact that a person like that appeared before him.
”I amthankful”
After uttering these words, Konig lost consciousness.
”If you lose consciousness, you cannot move even under manipulation, is that it?”
s.h.i.+baid went closer to Konig's body and confirmed that all strength had left it.
As he did not know how the control worked, s.h.i.+baid put restrains on him to be sure.
”I cahn't, beliive it”
Watching Konig be defeated so easily left Bulk flabbergasted.
The other knights too seemed to grasp just how dangerous an enemy s.h.i.+baid was, and they were desperately trying to crawl away to safety.
”Lady Lilis.h.i.+la, could I ask for your help in restraining them?”
”Of course.”
s.h.i.+baid captured the higher-leveled knights, while Lilis.h.i.+la took care of the rest. Bulk tried to flee too, but he was obviously captured as well.
”H-how dare you treat me like this!!”
”Your subordinate in the other room has been defeated already, did you know?”
Bulk was cut off as he was trying to talk. s.h.i.+baid informed him about Eline's capture and Hermie and Millie's rescue.
Bulk's expression was one of utter shock. Considering that Lilis.h.i.+la's party turned against him, he realized that s.h.i.+baid must have been speaking the truth.
They did not need to endure humiliation to protect the controlled ones any more.
There wasn't a reason anymore not to oppose him directly.
”You have done as you pleased more than enough”
Probably because of the anger within her, a heat haze was surrounding Lilis.h.i.+la as she walked towards Bulk.
Her beautiful features hid a strong aura projecting a ”I will beat you till you're an inch away from death!!” vibe, was abundantly clear to anyone who would look at her.
Her pressure was so fierce that even the valiant knights present stepped back.
”I-I don't deserve to die in a place like this!! Teleport!!!”
Under the weight of Lilis.h.i.+la's pressure, Bulk frantically chanted the keyword.
It was the same teleport crystal stone that s.h.i.+n had used before.
”No! Wai-”
Bulk disappeared before Lilis.h.i.+la could prevent it. It was as if he never was there in the first place.
”Kh! To think that he had a teleport crystal stone that was supposed to be lost!”
Lilis.h.i.+la's expression was distorted by regret. The other knights too were left stupefied by Bulk's sudden disappearance.
Differently from Lilis.h.i.+la, however, s.h.i.+baid showed no sign of apprehension.
”Do not fret, Lady Lilis.h.i.+la. Bulk hasn't escaped us yet.”
”But he already completely disappeared”
”This building is the High Human's Cain's base. A crystal with such low purity can't teleport outside its walls.”
”I-is that really true?”
”I have lived my share, you see. I have had the chance to learn about this Palmirack from High Elves and High Lords. He is likely regretting trying to escape right now.”
s.h.i.+baid nodded with confidence, which let Lilis.h.i.+la feel at ease.
Some time later Lilis.h.i.+la, who had reunited with Hermie's party, felt as if something akin to Bulk's screams reached her ears.
”Your comrades?”
”Subduing Lilis.h.i.+la's party while the main force is headed to the Holy Woman. That much is easy to predict. Thus we only needed to set a fitting opponent in wait for them.”
”RidiculousKonig will be accompanied by other upper cla.s.s chosen ones! No matter how strong your comrades might be, they too surely have their limits!”
Konig, a warrior close to Eline in ability, was heading to Lilis.h.i.+la's location. s.h.i.+n did not know Konig very well, but he was not worried in the slightest about the possibility of s.h.i.+baid's defeat.
”If that Konig is close to you in terms of strength, as you say, then it will be child's play.”
Even if there was another chosen one on the same level as Eline, s.h.i.+baid would not have trouble defeating him. It was a definite fact.
s.h.i.+n spared no expense to reinforce his support characters, his companions were not to be trifled with.
”Well then, now that you know that there is no way left to stop us, let us talk about what to do with you.”
”Eek!”
s.h.i.+n walked closer to Eline, slowly. The latter, remembering the punishment he had just received, let out a cry and tried to flee.
No matter how much of an upper cla.s.s Chosen One he was, not enough time had pa.s.sed for him to recover. The type of movement available to him was on all fours at most.
Maybe because all he had in mind was to run away as fast as possible, Eline crawled away with a speed s.h.i.+n and Wilhelm did not expect. He could not truly escape, obviously. s.h.i.+n gradually closed in on the distance between them.
”S-s.h.i.+t!! Why am Iwhy is this happening to a chosen existence such as I..!!!”
As if he failed to grasp his current situation, Eline was muttering senseless words.
Eline had advanced for several mel when it happened.