I confess, I had little hope. Almost three weeks have passed since Sen, Minna and Norf came to me to unearth their friend’s grave, and over that time, the cultists could have used him for any one of their unspeakable rituals. The fact that they have reunited now is a beautiful miracle, one born from hope and perseverance on both sides. Nonetheless, we are still behind enemy lines and I pray we will survive to stand under the light. Noticing our interactions with Eric, more prisoners are now paying us mind, but with the same listless eyes as before.

“By the way, Sen… this isn’t-”

“Yeah, we know, Eric.”

“I see. It’s hard to believe… you two are really here. Am I… dreaming? Or is this another cultist joke?”

“No, this is reality,” says Minna, “we’re really here to save you.”

“Looks like I caused you a lot of trouble… You’ve made a few friends, I see.”

“Yeah, they’re all great guys,” says Sen as he turns to introduce us. “This is Norf. He doesn’t speak much but he is a dependable friend. Next to him is Hachirou…”

“G-greetings.”

“… he is more incredible than he looks, and he has an equally amazing partner who is not with us at the moment. As for the lady over there-”

“I am Liliana Iranor, a travelling cleric. Please pardon me for asking, Eric, but what do you mean by “another joke”?”

“It’s unpleasant to say, but… those sadists… like to hold unannounced “drills” where a party of “rescuers” will… come in like you. Anybody that takes the bait… they perform a live demonstration.”

“Oh my God…”

“Damn it, so that’s why all these people are like this,” says Sen through gritted teeth. “Is that what happened to you too, Eric?”

“No,” whispers Eric with a wry smirk, “I tried to escape of my own volition. On my second failure… the others stopped listening to me, which is why I’m in this corner. Just so you know… I think I got pretty close, but both times… I couldn’t get past that blasted “guide”.”

“… Kell.”

“Yeah. The funny thing is their punishments affected my “quality” which… dropped me to the bottom of their sacrifice list. The rest of the B rank adventurers… are already gone.”

“Oh my God. I-is this everybody that is left?” I ask.

“There are some kids, but they are kept somewhere else. As for the adults… this is all that’s left. I don’t know if the others have been killed, or enslaved at some outpost.”

“We already found the children, Eric. But if this is everybody… we should sound the rescue,” says Minna.

“I’m still up for a third try, but… I’m missing a leg, and the rest of these guys… won’t budge a muscle. It’s going to be tough.”

“Actually, that shouldn’t be a problem. We’re only here to find everyone before we report to the holy knights. They’ll be the ones carving a way out of this place.”

For a moment, Eric’s expression is vacant as he listens to Minna’s explanation. However, to my concern, he suddenly becomes wide-eyed as he loosens his grip on his friends.

“I hope I’m mishearing, but are you all supposed to be here… covertly?”

“That’s right. We had a few close scrapes but we managed to make it here undetected. All we have to do now is sit tight and wait for-”

“No, Sen. You all… have to get out, right now! T-they… already know you are here.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Not everybody locked in here… is a prisoner. One of them is a spy. We were told as much… from the very beginning. You are all… in danger.”

“By the spirits…”

So that’s why the security is so thin. That being said, I don’t detect any magical circuits or enchanted tools on any of the occupants. Is there a hidden communication item?

… Or did the cultists fabricate a cage from their own paranoia?

“… I understand. Norf, do you mind carrying Eric on your back?”

“Sen, you dolt… Just leave me. I will only slow you down.”

“Perhaps, but I know for a fact that if we leave you here, those dastards will use you for leverage.”

“Sen is right. Besides, we don’t have to move a great deal. We only have to hide ourselves until the rescue force arrives. Moreover, we’ve got an experienced B ranker waiting outside.”

“Heh. Did you forget I’m also a B ranker…? Okay, I’m in.”

I cast healing magic on Eric while Sen and Minna bind him to Norf’s back. As we make our way to the only exit, I look back at the rest of the watchful captives. Although it ails me to leave them as they are, I can’t help but imagine other intentions behind their owl-like stares. Nevertheless…

“Stay strong, everyone. To swear to our Lord that you will all find salvation.”

“Lili, we have to go.”

I heed Minna’s call and return to the rest of the party. As we emerge from the exit door, we catch Sig in the middle of smacking something in his hand.

“S-sig?” says Hachirou.

“Ah, welcome back, my jobbers. Looks like you found your long-lost friend.”

“Yes, but is something the matter?” asks Sen. “If I’m not mistaken, isn’t that the communication emblem in your hand?”

“*Sigh* Yeah, and I hate to say it but something’s up. I can’t reach that knight Mavel at all.”

“B-by the heavens. Are the cultists already aware of us?”

“I’m not sure about that, Lili. See this light here? It means it’s connected but nobody is responding at all. Either they’re smote, or they’ve really decided to keep mum.”

“D-do you really think the others have been defeated?”

“I pray not, Hachirou. May I take a look at that, Sig?”

“Be my guest, Lili.”

“In any case, we can’t direct the rescue team if we can’t contact them,” says Minna. “What should we do then?”

We all fall silent as we ponder our next course of action. However, in our hearts, we already know what we must do, and it shows in the way we keep glancing at Norf’s back. Without knowing the way, we have to sneak out of this labyrinthine domain and inform the main camp… before the break of dawn.

(-is being...)

“Huh?”

“Lili, you did it! The communicator’s working again!” exclaims Sen.

“B-but I only channelled mana into it.”

“All the same to me. Let me have that again... Hey Mavel, this is Sig the Singing Steel! I missed what you said earlier, so do you mind being an echo?”

(-washed.)

“Washed?”

(Mr Burner’s cloak is being washed.)

“… Eh?”

“Enbos’ apprentice, do you copy? This is a silent transmission. Please respond without alerting your companions.”

(…)

“Hachirou Nomura, do you copy? This is a silent transmission. You need to-”

“You need to stop, Brother Maximillian. It is clear they won’t respond.”

“*Sigh* So it seems, Sister Agnes. I can only hope the Ruler’s Eyes relayed my secret message.”

“Oh, so that is what it was. To be fair, if even I couldn’t decipher your nonsense, then I fear for those adventurers.”

“That’s because it’s not for you. In any case… the time of reckoning has finally arrived.”

The long corridor is finally approaching its end. A massive stone door stands in our way, and although it’s sealed shut, I can feel a foul aura emanating from the other side. I begin charging my blessed glaive long before we reach the entrance, but I don’t bother destroying the door. We stand outside the entrance, and with a low rumble, the doors open on their own to reveal a vast and empty hall. Standing in the middle of this space is a lone cultist with a golden mask in the likeness of a ram. Around him are a dozen undead guards, decorated in full plate armour of tainted steel and in direct contrast to our brilliant armaments. Although it would not be below them to plant an imposter, there is no mistaking that presence, that conceit, that stench which resembles a stale crypt…

“Dark Apostle Tascus.”

“…”

“I know not why you have led us to this place, nor do I care. What dark powers you command, what schemes you concoct, what false god you follow… all of it ends tonight. For crimes too numerous to recount, for sins too grave to disclose, I hereby sentence you to death before the eyes of the Lord. Will you lay down your arms and accept your penance?”

“… Personal guard, advance.”

The heads of all the undead suddenly jolt as they become animate and draw their weapons. However, before they can take a single step, I unleash all my weapon’s accumulated mana in a wave of golden light. The hierarch swings his staff and unleashes a black miasma equal to my attack.

Our spells meet. The air quakes. The undead charge through the dust and meet our wall of blessed steel. One of the armoured monstrosities attempts to attack me, but I strike it with the back of my glaive and send it flying towards its master. With a flick of his staff, he brushes aside the hurtling mass of flesh and metal as he continues to observe my abilities. However, to my surprise, the hierarch turns his back to the battle… and begins walking toward an exit on the other side.

“.”

I throw a piercing construct of light straight at Tascus’ back, but to my disappointment, the undead I deflected earlier jumps in the way and is reduced to ashes. As it crumbles, I sense a sudden surge in power in all the remaining undead.

“Maximillian, all these undead knights are linked. If we slay one, the rest will be empowered.”

“Yes, I noticed Agnes,” I say as I break one of the undead’s legs and send it careening to the opposite wall.

I click my tongue as black magic seeps from its wounds and repairs it in an instant. I point my glaive at the undead, but Agnes pushes my weapon aside as another knight engages the risen instead.

“Do not be distracted, Maximillian! You target is the hierarch.”

“Agnes is right!” shouts Brother Evans. “We can deal with these undead, even if the last one becomes a ravager. !”

“Go, brother! We all trained for this!”

“… Very well. Once you have reduced their number, kill them all simultaneously!”

“Yes prior! Godspeed!”

“Bless you all, my brethren. .”

I launch myself to the roof then kick off the ceiling to land outside the exit. Leaving the sound of my brothers and sisters behind me, I soon find Tascus down the corridor, waiting beside a marble plaque.

“Hm, slower than expected. Did you hesitate in your-”

“.”

I close the distance in an instance, but not fast enough to outmanoeuvre his teleportation. Without turning around, I sling my weapon over my back and intercept a heavy downward swing. It makes contact for less than second as I twist my body to launch a reverse kick. He sidesteps my attack, then very wisely jumps back to evade my second kick, with which I use my polearm as a brace. As my feet touch the ground, I flick my weapon out the ground and release a wave of holy magic. He blocks it with a but continues to dash back to evade my flurry of thrusts. My latest strike grazes past his mask, and he immediately exploits the opening to forward. I back to maintain some distance then swipe at him with the back of my glaive. Despite the narrow corridor walls, I push through and carve apart the stone masonry, before striking his raised forearm. Although my attack deforms his silver bracer, he maintains his posture and uses his golden staff… to batter the other wall.

With both walls crushed, the corridor is now collapsing around us as we continue exchanging heavy blows, tearing our surroundings to pieces. I continue pushing him back all the way to the great hall while the space behind me is consumed by dust and rubble. At the entrance, he blocks one of my upward swings and uses the force to somersault into the air before levitating several feet above the centre of the room. I remain outside the boundary of the room as I survey the interior.

This isn’t the same space as before. Although the architecture is identical, all trace of my brethren and his undead minions have completely disappeared. A layer of soil has also replaced the stone floor, ideal for manipulating with . I channel magic into my footsteps, leaving swathes of frost in my wake.

“Your technique, at least, is acceptable, although I must say your magic control is exemplary. Even as I speak, you are tuning your weapon to its upmost limits while disguising the residual energies.”

“…”

“I can see the unease in your eyes. What is the matter, young inquisitor?”

“.”

Ignoring his insidious words, I enchant the rustic edge of my glaive until it glows with burning light. The cultist shakes his head ruefully before opening his arms and hovering ever higher. I watch cautiously as I continue pouring mana into my divine weapon.

Here it comes.

“O Maleosis watching from beyond, I invoke our .”

The change is as immediate as it is extreme. It feels as if my are bleeding from sight of his new form. Just as described by Enbos, two dark rings of impure mana appear behind him as his power surges three time over. Despite the size, none of the mana is superfluous. Every drop of power is being carefully distributed across his flesh and bone, empowering his physical abilities. He is far more formidable than before, but that is irrelevant once I have finished charging Horizon’s Edge. For it is natural providence that darkness must always give way to light.

“.”

“.”

I instantly freeze the ground while infusing the loose soil with my mana. Although my footing is safe, Tascus claims enough ground to conjure a tidal wave of dirt. As I’m enveloped from all directions, I cast and turn all the animated soil into a solid cocoon. I then start carving large chunks of the frozen shell and immediately kick them at Tascus in rapid succession.

“.”

The earthen fragments break up against his protective spell, but I emerge from behind the latest missile. I swing my weapon and Tascus immediately drifts forward so that his barrier touches the shaft instead of the blade. However, without a foothold in this mid-air exchange, I send him falling to the ground all the same. Where I once walked, I conjure an icy pike to receive his fall. He then teleports to my left flank, but keeps his momentum to launch a short-ranged but full-powered charge.

“.”

“,” I cast as I narrowly duck beneath his attack.

He soars all the way to the wall and shatters the entire surface. I’m immediately behind him, my glaive aiming for his neck. All a sudden, hundreds of small fragments fly out from the broken wall, forcing me back and encasing my body in ancient stone. I immediately cast before breaking out of my marble cast in one go. However, I am too late. As I turn to face him, Tascus has already conjured a large spell circle; the destructive combination magic…

“.”

Although he didn’t chant the full incantation, it’s still a master rank strategic spell being cast in an enclosed space. I quickly cast and stay away from the walls as he fires a constant stream of . I swoop at high speeds and leave afterimages in my wake as I narrowly evade the deadly volley. The hall is shaking from the explosive barrage. Dark magic is thick in the air and the millennia-old roof is threatening to collapse from his wanton destruction. Although I’ve avoided all his projectiles thus far, the shockwaves alone are battering my body and ringing my ears. The dissonance between my senses and my movements is quickly becoming material.

My passive regeneration cannot keep up. However, instead of channelling healing magic, I pour more mana into my weapon, until...

“Horizon’s Edge, awaken!”

Suddenly, a brilliant flash fills the room as the brass edge of my weapon is replaced with the light of a hundred suns. Tascus’ next barrage comes my way, but I charge straight into his attack and begin deflect the … without triggering a single explosion. The dark constructs are being disintegrated into magic particles as I continue my high-speed parrying.

He quickly teleports to ground level as I slash at the magic circle, destroying it in an instant. Although he has monstrous mana regeneration, casting has cut deeply into his reserves. I continue my offensive and dive straight towards him, with my spear in front. He summons a massive wall of soil to impede me, but as soon as it makes contact with Horizon’s Edge, the entire construct crumbles away. As the dust clears, Tascus is no longer on the other side but at the furthest point from myself. Or so he believes.

“Hm!?”

From his new viewpoint, he suddenly realises “I” am just a reflection in a prism of ice. He quickly traces the trajectory and turns in time to see a radiant edge being thrust toward his head.

“!”

He evades the first blow by a sliver. The second, by a hair’s breadth. The third-

“Huh!?”

… doesn’t connect. He teleported away in time. No, that’s not it, he-

“Special-grade, anti-magic artefact: Horizon’s Edge. I must confess, Sir Iudico, I did not expect you to ready it so soon.”

Hearing that uncanny voice, I turn to find Tascus not thirty paces away. Although I can reach him in a second, I decide to hold back. The ground and all the surrounding rubble have been contaminated with his mana following that bombardment.

“Forged with unidentified metal fragments recovered from golden age ruins, its mana conductivity and capacity are peerless in the current era. Once fully charged, the decay effect of holy magic on dark magic is amplified to the extreme, causing a violent chain reaction that would destroy every trace along a circuit. Truly, it is the embodiment of the Cleansing Swords: powerful, thorough, yet slow and tragically misused.”

“Silence, Tascus! You may have spies, but you know nothing of the priory’s ethos.”

“… It seems you are still unwilling to accept the truth. In any case, your current strength is still above acceptable levels. I suppose I will have to move onto the next phase.”

He takes a scroll from his belt and burns it in his hand, leaving a brand in the middle of his palm. All of sudden, a dozen upright coffins emerge from the earth around the room. The lids fall off to reveal armoured ghouls in every one, but compared to the group from before, these undead clearly have superior equipment and enchantments.

“I see. Your “true” personal guard.”

“Indeed. Made from my most notable foes, our greatest martyrs, and the most “heretical” of knights.”

“…”

“*Chuckle* You hide your bloodlust well. Well then. Personal guard, advance.”

I assume a defensive stance as the undead charge toward me from every direction. Tascus appears content to watch, although I am not foolish enough to take my eyes off him for even second. He clearly wants to wear me down and force me to expend the mana in my glaive.

I strike at the closest challenger, and although it raises its blade to block, Horizon’s Edge cleaves right through metal and flesh alike. However, the rest of the undead forces suddenly accelerate and I immediately realise they’re also ritually linked.

… No. Could it be…

“.”

Evading a blade from behind and a war hammer to my legs, I take to the air and prepare to dive in at Tascus. However, dark wings of mana then sprout from all the undead as they launch themselves upward and surround me in a ring. Three by three, they swoop in and engage me in a short melee before switching with the next trio. They’ve spread out to avoid being destroyed in one go and to intercept my movements if I breakaway.

I decapitate one of them and disintegrate its body in an instant, causing the rest to suddenly gain power. It would be one thing if it only increased their strength, but Tascus is meticulously adjusting their movements and employing team manoeuvres and tactics. I’m finding it more difficult to swing my sure-kill glaive without leaving an opening. Did he really see through my fighting style? From that brief exchange?

Two of the undead knights move in, and as I deflect their attacks and prepare to skewer the both of them…

“A3, A4, detonate.”

In a heartbeat, I activate using the spell enchanted in my bracer. A powerful explosion erupts from the pair of risen as I descend to the ground, unharmed, in an orb of golden light. Nevertheless, I find myself clicking my tongue at the sight of the surrounding undead, arranged in the heaven’s gate formation.

I can’t turn this into a test of endurance. That was my only and the rest of the undead are undoubtedly enchanted with the same destruction spell. I need to finish this quick.

As I wait for to recover my strength, I take note of every undead on the ground and in the air. I then release my barrier and wait for the fiends to rush me, which is when I bury the tip of my glaive into the ground.

“!”

A crystalline structure instantly sprouts beneath my feet, carrying me twenty feet above the ground and right in the middle of the airborne undead. As the risen at the foot of the platform look up and those in the air quickly approach me, I activate my weapon which is still embedded in the magical ice.

“!”

Concentrated holy magic blasts from the tip of my weapon and into the icy column, refracting on every imperfection along the way, before emerging as beams of cleansing light from every surface. Tascus is unable to command all his undead in time as the dispersed light strikes every risen at once. In the end, the disintegrates under the intense heat, and there is no one left but me and the hierarch, who is clapping in mock applause.

“Magnificent, inquisitor. Truly magnificent. Despite knowing my personal guard are linked to those opposing your brothers, you exterminated them nonetheless. Moreover, you did it all in a single move, which means they will suffer a large and unexpected boon to their opponents. Tell me: do you not fear your actions have caught your brethren off-guard? Led to their untimely deaths?”

“Silence, imposter! The priory will endure so long as we can take your head.”

“Imposter, you say? Why, pray tell, young inquisitor. Of whom do you believe I am imitating?”

“…”

“… Maximillian, there is no one else that will witness this conversation. As loyal as my lambs may be, not even I wish for them to hear this. At the very least, you should use this opportunity to finish charging your weapon back to full strength.”

“…”

“*Sigh* Perhaps this will finally convince you.”

As he says this, he teleports away his ram-shaped mask. Seeing his golden hair and short silver beard, my breathing stops as the weight in my heart suddenly grows. However, that doesn’t stop me from charging forth with a series of powerful swings. He deflects all my physical attacks with a patient hand.

“How disappointing. Is there nothing you wish to inquire?”

“Your true identity can be verified post-mortem! !”

I thrust my weapon toward his unprotected head. He ignores the afterimage and deflects the actual strike directed toward his heart. Just as before, he doesn’t so much as twitch as the illusionary blade passes between his eyes.

“But to be completely honest,” I say through gritted teeth, “I already realised it was you when you evaded my . It truly sickens me that we ever mourned your passing seven years ago, but in the end, such disappointments mean nothing before our sacred charge. !”

“.”

“I shall not relent! But in what little time you have left on this mortal coil, all I want to know is: why?” I demand as I clash against his staff with all my might. “Why did you turn your back on the priory… Caetus Iudico!?”