Spore Witch (1)

The dragonkin, Kruud. Though he acts a bit slow-witted, he’s quite a formidable warrior.

In terms of aura manipulation alone, he’s clearly at a higher level than Allen Wise, who just showed an impressive performance against Titan.

After all, isn’t he someone capable of creating miracles similar to Allen Wise using just ordinary aura?

While others can only enhance their bodies and weapons with aura, he can manipulate it like an extension of his limbs.

“Heave-ho!”

A performance of scraping the ground with his spear.

Though it seems like mere showmanship, the attack that follows is quite precise.

The moment he scrapes the ground, sparks fly and tiny particles of dirt scatter.

Others might not pay attention to it.

But hidden within those small dirt particles drifting on the wind is Kruud’s finely divided aura.

As we saw in Rubia, his specialty lies in his technique of dividing his aura so finely it blends with the environment while maintaining its power.

Kruud’s overall hunting style involves using large spear strikes to draw attention while using scattered aura to cut off limbs.

While Allen Wise’s style is closer to fighting humans, Kruud is truly a specialist in hunting magical beasts.

Though Kruud’s achievements might be better, he’s actually inferior to Allen Wise in human combat.

“But that doesn’t mean I underestimate you. What do you take me for?”

I’ll admit my attention is on Another Hope.

But that doesn’t mean I’m arrogant enough to disregard the opponent before me.

The reason I chose Kruud wasn’t because he seemed easy.

“Of course I’ll give it my all.”

It’s because he’s an opponent I can unleash my full power against.

What I’m aiming for is the aftermath of that.

Whoooosh!

I draw out holy power. Though I don’t particularly like showy methods, this time it’s necessary.

The overwhelming holy power of an apostle. I bring out and display all of that massive holy power externally. Just revealing it envelops the stage in light so bright it’s impossible to see ahead.

“…Hey, you’re not actually trying to kill me, are you?”

Though Kruud complains dramatically, it should be fine. I trust him and can unleash my power fully.

He’ll handle it well.

“Well then.”

The Pantheon Temple’s combat forces are typically divided into three categories.

Paladins, the iron wall guardians who use both aura and holy magic to strengthen their bodies to the limit.

Templars, who strengthen their bodies with holy magic while wielding pure holy power for attacks.

And heresy inquisitors who combine holy magic with various techniques.

I basically use the heresy inquisitor’s method of employing minimal power with various means, but now I intend to try the templar’s approach.

“First, let’s set up the environment.”

I manifest massive holy power externally to create my own fortress.

A sacred domain that heals wounds, strengthens the flesh, and drives away evil things.

Most half-demons would cough blood and die in agony just from being in this space.

“Te-Templar!”

“As expected, I thought he wasn’t an ordinary priest when he mentioned being acquainted with that orc earlier!”

Voices from the audience speculate about my identity. They recognize what I just demonstrated as something like the templars’ pre-battle ritual.

It actually is, and that’s why I did it.

And simultaneously…

“Let’s see if there’s any reaction.”

It’s also a way to confirm the reaction of Another Hope, who’s presumed to be under Belial’s influence.

There wasn’t any dramatic change.

However, I did confirm a momentary flash of red in those blue eyes. As expected, he can’t hide himself as perfectly as Belial.

Though he inherited Belial’s blood, he’s still closer to being a demon.

“Die!”

The moment I got distracted, Kruud immediately thrusts his spear.

Impressive acting skills. Anyone watching would think he really means to kill.

“Good. Let’s keep going like this.”

I deflect Kruud’s aura-imbued spear with my palm.

Right now I’m a templar.

Moreover, I’m playing the role of one specialized in close combat.

The fact that I, who was a heresy inquisitor, could imitate this was all thanks to Pope Cotinus’s active help.

He would recite confidential Pantheon Temple matters one after another just at my request to teach me, allowing me to learn some of those techniques.

Of course, it’s impossible to perfectly learn Cotinus’s techniques that he honed until old age in such a short time.

It’s merely imitation at best.

But well…

“I believe it was like this?”

Boom!

With the overwhelming output I gained thanks to being an apostle, such crudeness can be covered up.

I overwhelm with pure output. Surprisingly, I’m capable of that now.

It’s completely different from my past self who had to enter the Pantheon Temple late in life and employ all sorts of methods just to fight.

Very different from my heresy inquisitor days when I had to fill in my inadequacies with various means.

Of course, I won’t abandon my style of using various methods to break down enemies.

My identity is still closer to being a heresy inquisitor, and…

“With so many strong people in the world, there’s a bit of an issue with being too clean while picking and choosing methods.”

“No, I don’t think I’m stronger than you at least… Ugh?!”

When I strike Kruud’s spear shaft with a long-range attack filled with holy power, he staggers back greatly.

Though he’s making a big fuss, he is still at the master level after all.

While retreating, he spins his spear to send all the aura he had scattered earlier flying toward me.

“This is good. Thanks to you, this should be a good experience.”

This isn’t something I can deflect one by one.

That’s why I had to move beyond just overwhelming with output and deploy holy magic.

As always, the holy magic I borrowed to block such wide-area attacks is Heimdall’s White Shadow.

The pure white veil enveloping my surroundings in a hemisphere shape collides with Kruud’s finely divided aura, creating sounds like thunder.

“Phew…”

An unfamiliar method.

A performance for show.

Thanks to that, I could create an image of overwhelming him, but it seems I’m actually the one being pushed back.

What I’m doing now isn’t a technique honed over long years but closer to a performance of recklessly packing in holy power.

Perhaps because of that, I could feel my massive holy power rapidly draining away.

How long has it been since I felt a shortage of holy power after becoming an apostle?

Seems like I might experience that today.

“Now then.”

“Ah, wait a moment. I’m about to-”

“Let’s continue.”

Cutting off Kruud’s words, I immediately launch a long-range attack. Having packed in lots of holy power, light like a beam blasts away where Kruud was standing.

This battle is about releasing as much holy power as possible.

To stimulate Another Hope, I need to keep strengthening the sacred domain by filling it with holy power.

The best way to shatter Belial’s schemes is to expose Another Hope’s identity here.

Looking at the situation so far, it seems nearly impossible, but I need to at least confirm how far things can go.

I’ll keep getting stronger, so just finding a clue that suggests it’s possible to make him reveal his true form would be enough.

“Hm?”

That’s when it happened, while I was forcibly maintaining the exchange with Kruud and observing Another Hope’s reactions.

Just as I was starting to breathe heavily and Another Hope began pressing his fingers against his temples as if having a headache.

“Oh my.”

I saw something white in my peripheral vision.

“Let’s end this.”

“Huh?”

Bang!

Though I had been engaging in close combat with mainly long-range attacks, now was the time to wrap things up given how things turned out.

I immediately neutralize Kruud, who would have gotten used to my combat pattern, with a single bullet before descending from the stage.

The audience fell into confusion at my sudden change in attitude, but that should be fine.

This was a staged fight anyway. Kruud will probably explain it away by saying either he won or I won.

“Lost…”

When I came down from the stage, I was greeted by Claire panting heavily while looking up at me, and Cotinus standing behind her as if protecting her.

What an impressive person. Even with his busy schedule, did he actually come to escort Claire at her request?

“What happened?”

If Claire of all people came all the way here, it must mean the situation is urgent.

Did I miss something? The Pantheon Temple couldn’t have been attacked, right?

Belial is a cunning demon, so he wouldn’t do something that bold.

“Duke Wallace Hope, *huff*, summoned Sister Linea.”

“…”

“So… so Sister went back, to House Spirin…”

My mind went cold at Claire’s words as she explained the situation while panting. I had been enchanted by the demon.

Both earlier at the Pantheon Temple and just now.

He must have deliberately shown only his demonic aspects.

That’s why I forgot about his position as Wallace Hope, his outer shell.

I didn’t think he would use such political methods to target my companion rather than me. I was naive.

Just because I couldn’t see him didn’t mean he didn’t know.

He must have already obtained all the information about my companions.

“Let’s move immediately. Your Holiness, could I ask you to look after Claire?”

“…If I may be so bold, Saint. Wouldn’t it lead to faster resolution if I helped directly?”

“That might be true. However, thinking about what that cunning one has done, I don’t think he would have laid his schemes on just one side.”

He’s the one who released Another Hope as a major decoy here to enchant me.

Having targeted Linea like that, why would other companions be any different?

He might be preparing with schemes I haven’t thought of.

“What place could be safer than near Your Holiness?”

“Ah! Such deep meaning! I, Cotinus, will definitely protect the Saint’s companions!”

There probably won’t be anything to protect against. Once Belial confirms Cotinus is present, he’s likely to withdraw.

Just his presence there will act as a deterrent.

There won’t be any fighting.

“You understand? Claire. Stay put and wait.”

When I tried to get confirmation just in case, Claire looked up at me with half-dead eyes.

“You’re not going to get upset about being left behind, are you?”

“Of course not. My weakness stems from my own issues after all.”

“…”

“I just feel pathetic about myself.”

Even in this situation, there’s nothing I can do. All I could do in response to those words was thoroughly mess up her hair.

“What are you doing?”

“You looked troubled. Trying to untangle those thoughts.”

“If anything, you’ve made it more tangled, haven’t you?”

“Then at least you can’t think unnecessary thoughts now. Since it’s a mess.”

Claire grumbles.

But at least she wasn’t showing that self-deprecating attitude from earlier.

Just a temporary remedy through jokes.

This issue will probably remain inside her as homework to be resolved someday.

Then what should I do for a child trying to grow?

“Stay put and wait. I’ll bring Linea back.”

Remove the source of anxiety.

*     *     *

The carriage carrying Mar and Linea began moving through the streets as the evening sun started to set. With many people heading home from work, the carriage moved quite slowly.

Moving at a speed barely faster than walking.

But no one was impatient about it.

However…

“Hm?”

When the carriage came to a complete stop, Linea and Mar had no choice but to look out the window.

As they peered out with questioning expressions, Ramid immediately jumped down from the driver’s seat and approached their window.

“It seems we’ve encountered a problem. I wonder if it would be alright to either find another route or wait until the issue is resolved.”

“Ah, it’s fine for today.”

“Well, I’ve got nothing to do but study when I get back anyway.”

The commotion in the street. The murmuring crowd and the congested street.

The two, wondering what had happened, finally got out of the carriage. Since Ramid was examining a map to find an alternate route, it would take some time anyway.

‘Well, there shouldn’t be any immediate assassination threat as long as we don’t get too close.’

Mar stood with Linea two steps away from where people had gathered, both rising on their tiptoes.

Of course, even then, they couldn’t see the problem with their height.

“Just a moment.”

Mar, who had been moving her head around while standing on tiptoes, jumped up into the air as if frustrated.

It was a moment when the ability of an assassin who usually escapes by jumping between buildings was displayed.

“Wow.”

Linea let out an exclamation of amazement seeing Mar jump higher than even herself, a beastkin.

It was quite an experience for Linea to be outdone by a pure human while both using just physical abilities without mana.

Linea waited for Mar to fall back down to share what she had felt.

“Huh…?”

But Mar’s expression as she fell back down from her high jump was unsettling.

Linea was about to ask something seeing Mar’s stiffened expression, but Mar grabbed Linea’s shoulder first and spoke as if urging.

“…You should just head back first.”

“What?”

Mar had seen it.

What was among the crowd when she rose into the air.

It was a purple flower.

An ominous-looking giant flower blooming as if using humans as fertilizer, soaked in red blood.

And the place where that flower had taken root.

Several people lay dead there, and mushrooms grew on top as if it were old rotting wood.

Like a small garden.

In that place so distorted it was hard to make out the shapes of the corpses, she saw something familiar.

The bracelet her mother had given to her and her father as a gift in the past.

That bracelet was wrapped around Shade’s arm protruding from among the corpses.

As if claiming that corpse was Shade.

“Seems like something I absolutely have to do came up.”

Mar wasn’t blinded by emotion. She knows that corpse isn’t her father.

But it’s a provocation she can’t avoid.

At least the fact that an arm was taken can’t be denied.

The perpetrator is probably someone far too strong for someone of her level to handle.

Yes, so…

“Ah, thanks for teaching me. Let’s meet again.”

Mar bid farewell with a bright smile, not showing her true feelings.