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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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The self-destruction triggered by the Calamity’s rampage detonated.
Ilkeron, caught in the blast, sustained critical injuries, half of his face and upper body ravaged by the explosion. Yet, despite his grievous wounds, he managed to stand, his consciousness intact.
“I never anticipated this. To think you would resort to self-destruction…!”
He couldn’t have survived detonating all the high-explosives embedded in his armor.
He should have been obliterated, not even a fragment remaining.
A foolish act of recklessness.
Even if it was a desperate attempt to counter the surprise attack, it was far too reckless.
Ilkeron, his gaze fixed on the devastation wrought by the Calamity’s rampage, raised his sharp blade. Edanant, seemingly unscathed, emerged from the smoke and debris.
“Unbelievable…! How are you still standing?”
-Because this body is completely assimilated with the Calamity of War. It’s the same principle as a fire mage being immune to burns.
Despite facing the full force of the explosion, a destructive power capable of reducing a vast area to ashes in an instant, Edanant remained unharmed. The Calamity’s armor, which had housed the high-explosives, was still intact, its imposing presence undiminished.
It was a preposterous outcome.
To emerge unscathed after using oneself as the epicenter of an explosion.
He must have known this and still chose to self-destruct to counter the Divine Speed attack.
“But you’re not completely unharmed, are you?”
-You relentless old codger.
Though concealed by his armor, Edanant had sustained a deep gash across his neck. Ilkeron’s attack, unleashed just before the self-destruction, had connected.
It was a stroke of luck that his carotid artery remained untouched.
If it had been severed, stopping the bleeding would have been a major problem.
He used his divine power to staunch the bleeding. If he had hesitated even for a moment, his head would have been dangling precariously.
-I almost became a headless ghost thanks to you.
“I’ve grown rusty as well. To falter and step back when faced with an explosion… The Ilkeron Nebiakus of my youth would have chosen mutual destruction.”
If he had pressed the attack, willing to sacrifice his own life, Edanant would have surely perished.
Knowing this, Ilkeron’s expression was filled with self-disgust.
-It’s about time you died.
Edanant raised a hand, and all the muskets deployed in the air aimed at the Black Cardinal. His intention was clear: to finish off Ilkeron, whose face and upper body were now covered in horrific burns.
Now was the time.
He was severely injured and couldn’t move freely.
Hesitation was the greatest cause of defeat.
Ilkeron’s ravaged state was a testament to this.
“Do you truly believe that’s possible?”
The Black Cardinal raised his head, his remaining eye gleaming. Despite losing an eye in the explosion, his fighting spirit remained unbroken.
The more adversity they faced, the stronger they became.
That was the terrifying resilience of the fanatics who worshipped the One True God.
Ilkeron, through sheer willpower, continued the fight. The sight of him gripping his swords with his burned and mangled hands was almost madness.
–Ta-da-da-da-da-BANG!!!
Hundreds of muskets unleashed their barrage.
A torrent of bullets rained down upon the Black Cardinal.
Just how long could he withstand it?
His battered body would soon reach its limit.
However, a series of sharp sword strikes followed, proving his resilience. Ilkeron deflected the countless bullets, sending them scattering like grains of sand, and then unleashed a sword attack, targeting Edanant.
“Damn it!”
The sword attack was a feint.
Ilkeron, activating Divine Speed once more, closed the distance between them in an instant.
‘He’s clearly on the verge of death… but how is he so fast?’
His speed was unchanged from before. The sight of Ilkeron charging with his burned and mangled body, a gruesome spectacle of carnage, was truly bewildering.
-How dare you close the distance.
I wouldn’t allow the Holy Kingdom’s mad dog to approach.
The high-explosives embedded in my armor unleashed a surge of intense heat, triggering a massive explosion.
No matter how many times he tried, the outcome would be the same.
His ravaged body couldn’t withstand the force of the explosion.
-Well… the same trick won’t work twice on the Holy Kingdom’s hound.
Ilkeron had once again activated Divine Speed, escaping the blast radius. His keen observation skills had allowed him to anticipate the detonation of the high-explosives.
Having successfully evaded the explosion, he would now launch a counterattack.
As if to prove this, Ilkeron, repeatedly activating Divine Speed, closed in on Edanant once more.
-You’re practically a walking corpse.
It took a full minute to prepare the high-explosives.
If he attempted another self-destruction, even the Holy Kingdom’s mad dog wouldn’t dare to attack recklessly.
Edanant, anticipating this, raised Aldebaran, parrying the incoming sword strike.
“Can you withstand it until then?”
Ilkeron, as if reading his thoughts, raised his blade and spoke.
Edanant felt a chill run down his spine as he saw the menacing glint of the cardinal’s swords. He knew Ilkeron would unleash Divine Speed once more.
His premonition proved to be accurate.
Ilkeron’s figure blurred, and the Calamity’s armor was torn asunder.
–Rip!
–Rip, rip, rip!!!
The screech of metal echoed through the air.
Shards of armor scattered in all directions.
“Cough!”
If he had been at full strength, the attack would have cleaved Edanant in two.
He would have ended the fight with a single, decisive blow.
However, Ilkeron was severely injured and weakened. Moreover, the repeated use of Divine Speed had taken its toll on his body, the recoil coursing through him.
He coughed up a mouthful of blood.
It was a clear sign that Ilkeron was nearing his limit.
-Haa…!
Even though the Black Cardinal had shown an opening, Edanant hesitated, momentarily stepping back. He clutched his chest, attempting to staunch the bleeding from a wound inflicted by the cardinal’s attack.
Ilkeron’s attack, honed by Divine Speed, had accurately targeted his heart. If it had connected, he would have been killed instantly.
Unbelievable.
Could a man on the brink of death truly possess such swordsmanship?
He had faced death twice now.
How long could he rely on luck alone?
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Edanant raised a hand, commanding the muskets. Though Ilkeron was severely injured and weakened, he chose to end the fight with a barrage of bullets, just to be safe.
–KABOOM!!!
However, before he could pull the trigger, the muskets were blown away.
A crimson tempest.
A whirlwind of sword energy, unleashed from a holy sword.
The swirling vortex, distorting the very air, instantly obliterated the Harmless Calamity. Edanant, startled, turned towards the source of the attack.
“Master…! I will kill you, Harmless Calamity!!”
A paladin wielding a wind-infused holy sword had intervened.
Cirel Veillard.
The Captain of the Holy Knights and one of the Seven Strongest.
Cirel, who had been held back by Maximilian’s betrayal, had finally arrived. Edanant let out a heavy sigh as he met Cirel’s gaze, burning with hatred.
-This is a mess. Truly pathetic.
“Even I couldn’t stop Cirel if she suddenly decided to abandon her post.”
Edanant turned his head and spoke. Maximilian, his voice devoid of emotion, responded.
Ilkeron groaned as he saw the black-haired man.
“To think you would surpass even Master… You’ve grown much stronger. I’m proud of you, Brother.”
-Don’t give me that crap.
Maximilian offered a faint smile, retrieving a vial from his pocket. The red liquid within was a high-grade potion, capable of instantly healing even fatal wounds.
Edanant poured the potion over his neck and chest.
–Sizzle.
Steam rose as his deep wounds began to close.
After confirming the bleeding had stopped, Edanant gripped his sword hilt and took a step forward. Maximilian, in response, drew his holy swords, preparing to confront the Holy Knights.
“Brother?! You came to help me!”
Zebeline, having unleashed a wave of white lightning to clear away the surrounding paladins, cried out in surprise as she saw Maximilian.
Maximilian simply nodded.
“I can’t let a pregnant woman overexert herself. Edan, we’ll finish this quickly.”
-You still believe that…?
A completely unexpected alliance had formed.
To think he would be fighting alongside the man who had abandoned his family and fled.
I knew.
I knew that I had to accept the help of my enemy to overcome this situation.
It was all to protect Zebeline from the Holy Kingdom.
Edanant, his expression unreadable, joined Maximilian, who was preparing to confront Ilkeron and Cirel.
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