Chapter 212: Holy Sword (1)

Whoosh.

Lucifer launched another attack, and Kai heard it. He reacted to the attack in a slightly more advanced way than before.

The sound was loud from the front and swung toward the left.

If his guess was correct, the attack would come from the left this time!

So Kai raised his sword to guard his side. Then came the barrage of steel-like feathers.

Damn it!

Assuming Lucifer’s only weapon was his arm had been a fatal oversight.

Kai quickly recovered 40% of his lost HP and refocused his mind.

The sound is slightly different.

The sound of his arm swinging and the sound of wings spreading were subtly distinct.

When he swings his arm, the sound is lighter. But when he moves his wings, it feels like the air is pushed.

Recognizing this small difference, Kai muttered quietly, “Come at me.”

“

Kirrr.

”

Perhaps amused and mocking the human who could barely react to his attacks, Lucifer spread his wings wide and flew into the air.

At the same time, cold sweat dripped down Kai’s face.

This sound... is the wings spreading.

But unlike before, a violent gust of wind struck his face.

He’s flying now!

Expecting Lucifer to attack only from the front had been wishful thinking on Kai’s part.

The boss monster, Lucifer, had intelligence comparable to most players. He wasn’t going to allow Kai, who couldn’t see, to rely on sound to react. Lucifer descended like a storm from high above, driving his knee into Kai’s face.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

“

Argh!

”

The pain wasn’t severe. If anything, it felt like the slight impact of dropping a smartphone on your face while lying in bed. But before the dull ache in his nose could subside, Lucifer began pressing the attack. He slashed and stabbed at Kai with his long and sharp sword-like nails.

All Kai could do was twist and turn to reduce the damage as much as possible.

Dang it. This isn’t going to work.

Cornered, Kai decided to use a skill he had been saving as his trump card.

“Ethereal Body!

Whooom!

Lucifer’s attacks passed harmlessly through Kai’s now translucent body.

At the same time, Lucifer let out a weird sound.

“

Kyee?

”

He turned his head left and right, as though searching for something.

Sunlight's Warmth, Sunlight's Warmth.

As Kai healed his HP, he noticed something strange.

Why isn’t he attacking?

For a boss monster over level 600, especially a fallen angel, magic should be a basic skill. Even if Kai was using Ethereal Body, Lucifer should have had plenty of ways to attack him.

Ethereal Body was meant to dodge just one attack as a temporary measure...

Yet Lucifer seemed unable to pinpoint his location, swinging angrily at empty air.

Is it that he can’t detect me when using Ethereal Body...?

Using Ethereal Body, Kai’s body made no sound and carried no weight.

If that’s the case, could Lucifer’s method of locating enemies be similar to the desert bats?

Echolocation. Through the resonance of sound, he located his opponent’s position!

And it seems that Lucifer’s sense of hearing is especially advanced.

Kai vividly recalled how Lucifer rushed toward every noise made by the Holy Blood Order members. Of course, this was still unconfirmed. It was only a theory for now. Because of that, Kai needed a way to test his hypothesis.

“Well then... how about this?”

The moment Kai murmured to himself, Lucifer’s sharp claws slashed through the air where Kai’s head had been. Naturally, in his ethereal state, Kai took no damage.

As expected, he’s highly reactive to sound.

Satisfied with his confirmation, Kai casually whistled to draw Lucifer’s attention.

“

Kieeeek!

”

Lucifer swung both hands wildly toward Kai, who had made a sound.

Then, Kai grabbed one of Lucifer’s hands without hesitation.

“Sunlight's Warmth.”

“

K-kirrk!

”

To a demon like Lucifer, a healing spell was not a blessing but a curse. However, the sound Lucifer let out darkened Kai’s expression.

What? The damage is still minimal...?

Instead of a scream of pain, Lucifer let out a startled gasp.

Biting his lower lip lightly, Kai shook his head.

A vast beach is made up of countless grains of sand. I have ten minutes of Ethereal Body, so I’ll chip away at his health as much as I can and worry about what comes next later.

As Kai prepared to cast Sunlight's Warmth again, Lucifer suddenly spread his wings.

Whoosh!

From Lucifer’s perspective, there was no need to waste time on an invisible opponent. There were still three hundred other prey in the room besides Kai.

“No!”

As Lucifer yanked his hand away and soared into the air, Kai quickly turned around. Sure enough, screams erupted from the Holy Blood Order members against the back wall.

“

Ugh

, darn it!”

“Why did he suddenly switch targets to us?”

“Raise your swords and block the attacks!”

“Don’t swing recklessly! You might hit your allies!”

As Kai hastily opened the faction window, he saw the Holy Blood Order members’ HP dropping rapidly.

Well, I have no choice.

Perhaps because he encountered an unimaginably formidable enemy like Zirukan, Kai had been deliberately avoiding using the Descent skill, which consumed his Benevolence stats. However, there was no way he could justify sacrificing the Holy Blood Order just to save 20 Benevolence points.

Without the slightest hesitation, Kai said, “Activate Descent.”

Ding!

[You have used the Descent skill.]

[20 Benevolence stats have been permanently consumed.]

[You may now select the soul of a former Apostle to descend into your body.]

This was a situation where he had to protect three hundred allies, and in such circumstances, there was no question about which Apostle to summon.

“Not the usual one... Summon Shimizu of Guardianship.”

Ding!

[1st Apostle, Shimizu of Guardianship, will descend into your body.]

The sensation enveloping Kai’s body felt slightly different from when Cherantia descended. While the floating sensation remained the same, it was accompanied by an air of elegance, contrasting with Cherantia’s always energetic nature.

—So, you’ve finally summoned me.

The voice resonating in Kai’s mind was a familiar one.

Shimizu.

—You’ve done well to call me.

Hehe

. Now I can finally boast to that kid Cherantia.

Kai had no idea when his body had become a battlefield for the pride of the predecessor Apostles.

Urgently, he said, “The situation isn’t good. I summoned you because—”

—I know. But haste makes waste. Don’t rush.

Shimizu’s soft, composed voice soothed Kai as she continued.

—Cherantia must have explained things to you. I wanted to tell you myself, but you summoned that bull-like kid first.

"Sorry about that..."

—

Haha.

I’ll stop teasing you now, so don’t be so anxious. Now that you’ve summoned me, you can rest assured.

Shimizu's voice, filled with confidence, echoed in Kai's mind.

—From this moment on, your enemies won’t even be able to touch a single hair of those you wish to protect.

Before Kai could even be surprised at her bold proclamation, notifications appeared.

Ding!

[Shimizu has descended into your body.]

[You can now use some of her restricted abilities.]

[You have temporarily acquired the skill: Absolute Sanctuary.]

[You have temporarily acquired the skill: Room of Mirrors.]

[You have temporarily acquired the skill: Disarm.]

[You have temporarily acquired the skill (Passive): Shimizu’s Conviction.]

[Skill (Passive) - Shimizu’s Conviction increases the defense of all allies by 200% and reduces the defense of all nearby enemies by 80%.]

Just as with Cherantia, Kai instinctively understood how to use each skill.

... Amazing.

At the same time, a sense of awe for her filled Kai’s heart like a rising tide.

I admit it. I honestly thought she wouldn’t be all that useful because it said guardianship...

Combat, at its core, was about one side killing the other. Because of this, Kai had thought that no matter how effective defense might be, it couldn’t overwhelm an opponent, but he was wrong.

This is Shimizu of Guardianship—the power of the First High Priest, known as the Living Fortress of the Church!

There was no need to hesitate any longer. Kai reached toward the direction of the Holy Blood Order members' screams and said, "Activate Absolute Sanctuary."

Wooom.

With a strange sound, a holy barrier rose from the ground, enveloping the Holy Blood Order members.

"Don’t think about attacking Lucifer. If you do, the Absolute Sanctuary will start to weaken."

"This voice belongs to... Commander?"

"I can’t see anything, but I can feel the holy power protecting me."

"Commander Kai... how amazing are you...?"

Saved from Lucifer’s evil hand, the Holy Blood Order members sang praises of Kai’s immeasurable skill.

“

Kirrk?

”

Of course, Lucifer scowled, pushed back by the mysterious force. He seemed displeased with the impenetrable barrier.

His powerful hands immediately struck the barrier. But it let out a scream as it was flung backward.

“

Kieeeek!

”

Kai slowly approached Lucifer and warned him, “It’s no use. The Absolute Sanctuary will only reflect more damage the harder you hit it.”

“

Grrrr

...”

The Absolute Sanctuary wouldn’t break until the Descent skill ended or Kai’s Holy Power was completely drained.

“Well then, it seems like the stage is set just for the two of us now.”

Ethereal Body’s duration hadn’t run out yet.

Kai slowly extended his hand, feeling for the direction where Lucifer was.

“The sound is roughly this way... no, maybe it’s here. Disarm.”

Ding!

[Please specify the target accurately.]

“

Hm

, is it not here? Then maybe...”

“

Kreeeeek!

”

As Kai continued murmuring, Lucifer gathered dark magic in his hands and swung ferociously at him.

“

Urgh!

”

Kai let out a rough breath as he was struck in the side by a sudden blow, but a smile appeared on his lips.

He pointed directly in the direction Lucifer’s hand had come from, and said, "Disarm."

Clank, clank.

With the satisfying sound of sturdy armor being forcibly removed, Lucifer’s bewildered voice echoed throughout the boss room.

“

K-krrrr?

”

Ding!

[You have used the skill Disarm on the Corrupted Angel, Lucifer.]

[All of Lucifer’s defense has been reduced to 0.]

[All of your attacks will now deal critical damage to Lucifer.]

“How does it feel? Your supposedly tough defense is now useless, isn’t it?”

Kai’s own defense was at its maximum, while his opponent’s was at its minimum.

Thinking about it this way... it’s a bit terrifying.

Kai reflected on how much he had underestimated Shimizu in the past. Now that he had seen her true power, all he could manage was an awkward smile.

Shimizu of Protection—to her allies, she offered boundless trust and reassurance, to her enemies, she delivered overwhelming terror. She was the most merciless empress of the battlefield that anyone could imagine.