Chapter 176

Chapter 176: 094 . Kasim Derian -3 (Part Two)

“Ha, hahah…”

A hollow chuckle involuntarily leaked out of my mouth .

Even I could tell what she was trying to do over there .

Her magic wasn’t even all that amazing, really . It was just the plain ol’ body reinforcement spell .

However, the divinity’s flow in her body that I analysed through Mind’s Eye proved to be truly exceptional . Her divinity was precisely controlled and much more stable than anyone else’s .

Her entire body was basically a treasure weapon and a sturdy shield at the same time .

‘I do remember seeing her slam the head of a lycan on the ground all those months ago . ’

Compared to back then, her growth rate could only be called monstrous .

Could that be chalked up to her being a Saintess, I wonder?

Saintess Alice Astoria stood up from her hiding place while clenching her fists . Her expression told me how scared she was right now .

But even then, she didn’t back off an inch .

That’s probably because she knew that the man standing before her was an agent of the Church of Caiolium . Through him, she might get to learn more about Raphael’s fate . That’s what she must’ve thought .

Kasim seemed to have finally sensed her presence, and turned to look at Alice .

“Charlotte,” said I .

Charlotte turned her head to look at me .

“Buy me time . Thirty seconds . No, wait . Twenty will suffice . Stop him from moving during that period . That’s all I ask . ”

With the combination of Charlotte and Alice, they might be able to hold down that hulking monster for a little while .

All I needed was twenty seconds .

With that time, I should be able to heal my body and use Amon’s relics .

“I shall obey your orders,” Charlotte replied .

“Don’t you dare push yourself beyond your capabilities . Even if you can’t endure it anymore, I’ll do something about it so don’t force yourself, got that?”

She smiled gently at my order and nodded in affirmation .

Her legs kicked the ground and her figure quickly dashed forward, and at the same time, Alice on the opposite side pounced on her target .

Kasim glanced at the two girls rushing at him and lightly leaped up in the air . His greatsword was raised up high .

BANG-!

The wind blades began showering down from the air in every direction .

In the meantime, I pulled out a bottle of holy water and spread it all over my body before putting Amon’s skull on my head .

Man, it hurts so much that I can’t even concentrate properly .

It didn’t mean that I couldn’t do it, though . I forcibly roused up my divinity . If I failed here, everyone would fall into grave danger .

“I am…”

I shifted my gaze to the side .

Kasim had already flown in right before my nose .

Like some crazed serial killer from a slasher flick, his madness-filled eyes were glaring straight at me .

He raised his sword, but Alice’s kick slammed into his back just then .

“Keok-!”

For the first time ever, a gasp of pain escaped from his mouth . His whole body flinched as he raised his head .

“…the legion . ”

Kasim didn’t give up yet . He forced himself up and tried to pounce on me once more .

This time, Charlotte stood in his path .

He took a mighty swipe with his sword, but she ever so slightly shifted her head out of the way and dug into an opening .

That humongous greatsword brushed past her cheek with a gap narrower than a hair’s breadth .

She managed to get close and thrust forward with her divine sword . The blade impaled deeply into Kasim’s unguarded side .

The golden armour shattered and blood gushed out, but he simply sucked in a deep breath and clenched a fist instead .

He punched hard at Charlotte below him .

Her figure slammed into the ground before bouncing up . Blood spluttered out of her mouth .

I gritted my teeth .

“And I’m…”

Kasim’s maddened eyes gleamed murderously as he spun his head in my direction . He grabbed Charlotte and threw her in my direction . I caught her figure, but the momentum behind the throw forced me off my feet and we ungainly rolled on the ground .

While hugging her sagging, unconscious body, I looked up .

Kasim was before us, raising the greatsword with his hands as if he wanted to skewer both of us at the same time .

“Die, heretic!”

Even as he began thrusting his sword down at us, I kept my eyes locked on him and said the following words .

“…Gaia’s inheritor . ”

**

The bone armour rapidly enveloped me .

I spat out a heavy breath and the blue-coloured air escaped from below Amon’s skull .

Emotions in my chest bubbled up uncontrollably . I wonder… Have I ever gotten this pissed off at someone ever since arriving in this world?

Yup, this had to be the first time .

I tightly held Charlotte’s unconscious figure . I touched her cheek with my bone-covered hand .

She was full of wounds .

I told her not to force herself, yet she didn’t listen and ended up in such a wretched state .

What did she believe in so fervently that she was willing to support and protect me like this?

I just couldn’t understand it .

Was it because I was an Imperial Prince? So that she could climb up the social ladder?

Nope . That definitely couldn’t be it . And that’s what made me feel even more confused .

I just couldn’t figure out her motivation . Maybe, it was as simple as what she had told me earlier – that she just wanted to become a Paladin to protect someone .

I raised my head up .

“Are you the devil itself?” Kasim asked .

The twelve bone hands extending from my back were currently stopping Kasim’s greatsword mid-air . I silently glared at Kasim’s unmoving figure before shielding Charlotte’s head .

My hand, much larger now after getting covered in the bone armour, began injecting divinity into her body .

Her wounds started healing at a visible rate .

I made sure to not leave behind even the tiniest scar on her body .

Kasim’s eyes bulged out of their sockets . Even then, he was getting more enraged . He roared out, “Don’t use the sacred power with the appearance of a devil!”

Don’t make me laugh . Was this insane bastard before my eyes really judging people based solely on their outer appearances?

Well, it didn’t really matter at the end of the day .

That’s because, this bastard was about to…

“…Die by my hands, anyway . ”

I summoned Amon’s staff and slammed it into the ground .

BOOM-!

Divinity spread out to the surroundings . The ground below rumbled and quaked .

Undead kitted out in pure-white armour – the holy undead knights – broke through the surface and emerged into the open .

They raised their heads in unison . White glow exploded forth from their eye sockets, and breaths just as white whooshed out from their mouths .

“What are these abominations now?!”

Kasim had become even more flustered .

“Kill this bastard . ”

One order from me, and all the holy undead knights rapidly moved out . They pounced on Kasim; all sorts of weapons like swords, spears, greatswords, and even maces flew in his direction .

Kasim sucked in a cold breath . He yanked his sword back, lifted it up, and began firing that wind blade of his in every direction .

The holy undead knights pouncing on him got sliced apart, chopped up into chunks, and dissipated from the world . Even then, a spear had impaled Kasim’s back .

“…!”

He spun around and slammed his greatsword down on the holy undead knight behind him . At the same time, bolts flew in from almost every direction imaginable .

These projectiles, brimming full of divinity, penetrated straight into his arms, legs, chest, and hips . Chains were connected to the ends of the bolts, thereby confining Kasim to the spot .

“How dare these measly undead abominations sully my noble figure?!”

Kasim roared out in a frenzy . He powerfully swung the greatsword to sever the chains binding him .

He then dealt with all the holy undead knights rushing in at him from every direction one by one . Even then, his body continuously got hacked and stabbed from every angle .

More arrows impaled his legs while a sword cut open his waist .

His knees buckled, but he didn’t give up . He didn’t let up and continued defeating the holy undead knights while gradually inching forward towards his target .

Kasim was a man of conviction, of unyielding religious belief . Even though his beliefs were contradictory, he still poured his entire being and even his soul into upholding his ideals .

Eventually, a powerful swing of a mace landed on Kasim’s head, breaking the golden helm apart .

“Pant, pant…!”

He destroyed the very last holy undead knight in front of him .

He then finally reached before me and fell on his knees .

“Pant, pant…”

His breathing was heavy, laboured . As if it’d cut off at any second now .

Kasim grasped the greatsword’s hilt with his trembling hands .

“I… I must… judge the heretic…”

He gritted his teeth and forced himself so much that actual veins were visibly bulging on his scalp . He managed to get back up on his feet in the end .

His sword rose up in the air .

“Judge… the heretic-!”

The twelve weapons held in my bone hands impaled Kasim’s body right there and then .

His greatsword came to a stuttering halt in front of my face .

I extended my staff and pointed it at his unguarded chest .

“You hate me that much, huh?” I spoke up .

Kasim’s eyes began quaking greatly just then .

“Well, it doesn’t matter to me . Because, you…”

I injected a ton of divinity into the staff .

The divine energy explosively shot out from the weapon’s tip and Kasim’s chest blew apart .

His flesh was ripped open, his ribcage shattered to bits, all of his internal organs ruptured and blew apart, and his spine, along with his back skin, tore right open .

“Keo-urhk…”

His figure faltered before slumping forward without much energy .

I reached out and grabbed his head before lifting it up .

I stared straight into his fading eyes and cocked my head .

“You shall be turned into my puppet that will destroy the Church of Caiolium for good . ”

Fin .