Chapter 372: The Final Battle (3)

Crack...!

As Karyl pushed Lakna with greater force, the barrier began to lose its radiance, cracks spreading across its surface as if it were made of glass.

“In Yula’s dominion!”

At that moment, dozens of priests stormed into the Sun Hall.

Wooooooong...!!

Each priest wore a distinct pallium—a ceremonial shoulder piece denoting their elite status within the Church, their focus trained on arcane powers rather than traditional combat.

The priests wielded their staves, swords, spears, and ritual tools at Karyl, chanting their prayers in low but fervent voices.

“Pentar.”

“...!”

A powerful, unseen force pressed down on Karyl’s shoulders, as though gravity had intensified just for him. Yet Karyl did not yield to the divine restraints, having fully anticipated the priests’ intervention.

Dark smoke rose around him, repelling the light projected by the priests.

“Th-That’s...!”

“The power of darkness!!”

“There’s no way!”

The priests gasped in astonishment, recognizing Duaat’s power. Lakna’s blade drove deeper into the barrier, their light fading against the encroaching darkness.

[These ones are mine to handle.]

“Careful, though. Your power does counter Divine Power, but it doesn’t vanquish it. You need the same power for that.”

[I know. It’s no easy feat for darkness to conquer light. But these mortals here aren’t gods—they’re just a bunch of humans borrowing Divine Power. I shall handle them with ease.]

Duaat’s voice held a hint of irritation, yet his eyes gleamed with fierce intent as he fixed his gaze on the priests before him, ready to unleash his fury.

“Battle priests, forward!”

“Hold formation!”

Behind the elite priests, a squad of battle priests emerged. Though they typically wore robes rather than armor, the ones storming in were clad in golden armor.

[Ah, looks like their equipment is infused with the light element. They must know that Divine Power alone won’t be enough to stop us.] Allen chuckled as he observed them.

“In Yula’s blessing! Agnus!”

The battle priests raised their weapons vertically before their chests, chanting their prayers. A brilliant glow radiated around them.

“In Yula’s joy!”

Lastly, the lead battle priest cried out in a trembling voice, “Redemption...!!”

With that, a red aura spread out in circles beneath the priests’ feet, illuminating the hall. Karyl recognized the man with the resolute voice.

It was none other than Yurin Huygar.

“I believe I asked you before,” Karyl began, his tone calm and his back turned to the priests. “Do you really intend to fight me? If so, this time, it shall be a battle to the death.”

Yurin flinched slightly, though he tried to hide it. As he lifted his newly acquired mace over his head, he shouted, “Attack...!!”

“Haaaa...!!”

Following their cries, the holy weapons descended upon Karyl and Allen.

Voosh...

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Just before a priest’s mace struck, Allen’s form vanished like smoke, reappearing behind his assailant.

“Haaah...!!”

As another priest thrust his spear at him, Allen seamlessly melted into the shadow cast by the spearman.

“Aaargh!”

“Ugh... Gah—!!”

The two priests suddenly broke into screaming and collapsed to the floor.

“Quick, cast a healing spell!”

The elite priests trying to bind Karyl with magic glanced back in shock at the fallen battle priests, noticing that their legs were gone, as if severed by something extremely sharp.

“In the holy spirit of Yula...!”

Sizzle...! Ssssss!!

As their healing light flowed into the wounded, smoke rose from the bloody stumps, as if they were catching fire. Then, darkness quickly spread across their bodies.

“Agh! Ghyaaahh...!!”

The battle priests writhed in agony, but the dark smoke quickly consumed them, turning them to ash.

“Soul Feasting.” Allen chuckled as he watched the disintegrating corpses.

Karyl wasn’t the only one who had grown stronger over time. Though Allen Javius had once reached the peak of human magic, fusing with Duaat’s dark power had unlocked new heights of magic beyond what he could have achieved as a human or a pure spirit.

Now, Allen Javius proudly displayed his dark magic before the priests wielding Divine Power.

“Come at me. Anyone who dares to touch me will end up like this, writhing in agony as their limbs crumble to dust!”

The battle priests shuddered, terror gripping them at his threat.

“...You’re not coming? Fine, I’ll come at you instead!”

Swoooosh...!!

Allen’s form expanded, looming over the priests like an ominous shadow.

“Everyone, retreat!”

“Don’t let the smoke touch you!”

Realizing that their protective spells were useless against the apparition, the priests scrambled to back away.

“Haaah...!”

But one among them, Yurin Huygar, raised his mace and charged straight into the shadowy barrier Allen had created.

“Oh... There’s one with some guts, is there? So you’re the one Karyl mentioned, huh?”

Allen laughed menacingly as he watched Yurin swing his holy mace, trying to strike his core.

“You’ll be given a special fate. The flames of Soul Feasting will consume you ever so slowly, burning you from within to ensure utmost agony.”

***

“Stop...!!”

Watching the cracks spread across the barrier of divine light, Kadin Luer raised his staff, the Infinite Breath, and began chanting.

“νωϪοκ υφχγ ﬆφ!!”

Unlike other sorcerers, Kadin had studied ancient runes, and in terms of raw destructive power, he was one of the most powerful spellcasters. As he finished chanting, streams of crimson burst forth, rushing toward Karyl.

Zing...!! Zap! Pow! Pow!! Boom...!!

The beams of light pierced through him, but Karyl didn’t relent. He kept tearing through the barrier, unfazed.

“Impossible...! He’s still standing after taking a direct hit from the Hellfire’s Eye?!”

“Quite the grand name for what’s essentially a fire spell with a hint of wind. Clever, but without the Blader’s enchanted gear, you wouldn’t even be able to cast it, would you?”

“...What?”

Kadin’s face flushed with shock and frustration. A closer look revealed that none of the attacks had actually struck Karyl directly; they had merely scorched his clothes.

Not a single shot hit him... Was it all refracted?

Through the torn fabric, a faint glow revealed a protective spell enveloping Karyl. Kadin’s heart sank—his meticulously prepared attack had proved utterly futile.

“No... This can’t be!!”

He tried to chant another spell, refusing to accept what was happening.

Thud!!

But suddenly, his right shoulder was yanked back, as if grabbed by an unseen force. He was lifted off the ground and sent flying backward.

“Gah...!”

Kadin crashed into one of the hall’s pillars, slumping to the ground and coughing up blood. His eyes widened in disbelief as he glanced at his shoulder—Agnel was embedded there.

The situation was hopeless. His specially crafted offensive magic had been effortlessly deflected, and his defenses shattered with a single blow.

“Don’t interfere,” Karyl warned, his tone cold.

“Ghh—!”

Kadin tried to rise, but Agnel, imbued with Karyl’s power, pinned him against the wall. No matter how much he struggled, it wouldn’t budge.

“N-No...!”

Though pain clouded his vision, Kadin still raised his arm in a desperate attempt to stop Karyl, but it fell limp to the floor.

Clang...!

The Infinite Breath clattered loudly as it hit the ground.

It was a shocking sight—Kadin Luer, hailed as one of humanity’s strongest, brought down with almost no effort. And worse, the emperor was now in mortal danger because they had failed to stop one intruder.

Against such overwhelming power, numbers and logic were rendered meaningless.

Crack—!!

The barrier finally shattered. Now, nothing stood between Karyl and Olivurn.

“If you thought some barrier was your divine protection, you’re the biggest fool of them all,” Karyl sneered. “If you have anything else up your sleeve, I’d suggest using it now, while your head is still on your shoulders.”

With that, Karyl pointed his Lakna at Olivurn. Yet Olivurn seemed calm, serene almost.

Just when Karyl was about to lunge at his foe, a low voice echoed from beyond the shattered barrier.

“So you’ve made it here in the end, huh?”

Swish...!!

A golden rope shot forward, coiling around Karyl’s Lakna.

Crackle...! Sizzle...!!

“...!!”

As Karyl tried to tear the rope free, a searing heat shot through his hand. Still, he didn’t let go—instead, he pulled with everything he had.

Snap!!

The taut rope snapped and dropped to the floor, its glow fading away. Now, it looked like an ordinary strand.

[Is it Divine Power...? But it’s different. This isn’t the kind of energy a mere priest could wield. Only the true Master Key would have access to such power.] Mael watched, puzzled by the scene.

“...Why are you here?” Karyl looked at the one who had thrown the rope, his tone filled with disbelief.

“It’s the bishop!”

“The bishop has arrived!”

“The power of Yula is with us...!!”

The priests’ voices echoed across the Sun Hall.

“...Bishop?”

Karyl frowned at the priests’ elation. In contrast to his reaction, the woman before him stood resolute, a dignified air about her.

“You’ve got to be kidding me... Rael Stallen, you’re the head of the Church now?” he growled, his face twisting in disgust. “What a sick twist of fate...”

Indeed, this revelation was most shocking. In her previous life, Rael Stallen had stood as the enemy of the Church, leading the fanatics of the Blue Roar. As her organization was essentially an extension of the Wooden Cloud, Karyl had resolved to annihilate them all the same.

“Well, at least you’ve saved me the trouble of looking for you.”

Karyl glanced at his charred palm, his lips curling into a twisted smile, as though he relished the pain.

“I’ll kill every last one of you.”