470 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Chapter 470 “……What a disgrace! How dare you!!” The shout came from an elderly figure, diminutive enough that he didn’t even reach the chest of a robust young man. Yet, the commotion held a peculiar power that caused the holy knights, who were subduing the dark swordsmen, to suddenly pause. The strange magical energy infused in the voice had interfered with their minds. However, promptly— “It’s the leader of the Black Serpent! Kill him!” At Stefan Royer’s rallying cry, the holy knights snapped back to their senses, charging toward the old man en masse. Despite suffering losses against the black swordsmen, over a hundred knights remained. Each knight was, at minimum, an intermediate-level force user. With three aura-user sub-captains added to their strength, there shouldn’t have been any reason they couldn’t defeat even a grand mage. Louisa, observing, thought so too. But then— “This place is our holy ground!!” The old man’s foot stomped the earth with a voice dripping in anger, intensifying the light of the magic circle embedded in the plaza. The light enveloped the oncoming holy knights. “This is not a place for the minions of wicked gods to frolic!” Thud. Suddenly, the knights’ movements slowed considerably. Though they seemed to move deliberately as if in jest, most of their faces remained unchanged. It was as if they hadn’t even noticed their own abnormality. Witnessing the unbelievable scene, Louisa’s eyes widened in shock. ‘……Time has been altered!!? No, it’s not that. Their cognitive speed has been slowed.’ Of course, even that was an absurd notion. No matter how powerful a grand mage, they shouldn’t be able to perform such magic against their nature. The divine power of the holy knights, though not as perfectly matched as King Logan’s power, certainly had an edge over the magic of Kassel Tower. Yet, the reason this was possible, Louisa realized the moment she saw the Tower Master. ‘The magic circle and the relics of Gibrick Kassel.’ The magic circle embedded in the plaza transmitted immense power, and the silver tiara on the Tower Master’s head, along with the bracelet on his left wrist, controlled and amplified that power. “Receive divine punishment, you lawless scum!” The overbearing voice carried an overwhelming power that was anything but mere bravado. “You will serve as an offering to Him!” Crackling. As the old man clenched a small hand in the air, the bodies of the sub-captains and the holy knights were suddenly lifted into the air. “Aaagh!” “D-damn.” “This can’t be…….” The knights, finally freed from the control of their consciousness, cried out in terror. And it was then that Louisa acted. Advertisements A garbled spell forcibly executed by Van Joni, and the performance of the Tower Master now. The contrasting spectacles sparked inspiration in her to reverse the situation. Without knowing the exact spell— ‘I can do it.’ Drawing upon her sharp wit, Louisa manipulated a part of the magic circle's power from beneath her. Thunk. Though it was but a fraction of the overall power, it was sufficient to disrupt the flow. “Louisa!!? What are you doing!” As the Tower Master’s roar, first to sense the anomaly, was directed at her— The knights who had been airborne broke free from their restraints, crashing back to the ground. Boom. Thud, thud. “Ugh!” “G-get him!” “Capture him!” The knights, now grounded, started charging toward the Tower Master once more. “Now’s our chance!” “Kill him!” With Stephan, Astro, and Anthony at the core, they closed the distance like lightning. “Ha!!” The Tower Master, glaring balefully at Louisa, emitted a gray mist from his entire body. “To be betrayed by the minions of the wicked and a traitor…….” As the words of deep meaning escaped his lips— – There’s no offering better for Him. With the eerie voice, a muscular demon, seemingly over 5 meters tall, emerged from the gray mist. Two pairs of red eyes, sharp and smeared with darkness, emitted a deadly aura. The horns grew from the forehead and gracefully curved behind the head like sharp spears, and the robust red skin, bulging with muscles, seemed immune to most weapons. The gigantic black talons on its hands were as sharp and well-honed as individual daggers, and the oversized tiara and silver bracelet on its left wrist matched its massive stature, giving it a distinctly eerie appearance. And towards this monster, the representatives of the holy knights charged unwaveringly. “Receive divine punishment, demon scum!” “For the will of God!” “This is divine judgment!” Once again, an eerie voice echoed through the air. – Silence! This is the true divine judgment! Thud. Advertisements As the demon-transfigured Tower Master took a step toward the oncoming knights, ominously dark crimson energy erupted from his body like flames. Boom! “Ugh!” “Huff!” “Gah!” With the swing of the Tower Master’s fist, the three exceptional knights of the holy order were flung in all directions. There was no grand technique at play. It was simply the malevolent dark crimson power unleashed with his punch, sweeping the area entirely. With a single strike demonstrating divine might, the Tower Master turned his gaze upon Louisa instead of the fallen knights. – Yes, you broke the suggestion. But did you think interrupting the flow would change anything? Louisa responded to her former master’s question by unleashing gray magic of her own. “Bind it!” Channeling the power absorbed from the magic circle and her own magic, she opened a gate to another dimension, and colossal vines from the demonic realm began to entangle the demon’s body. However— – How dare you use magic that you learned from me…… As the Tower Master’s mocking words were followed by the rise of black flames— The gray tendrils disintegrated in an instant, consumed by the blazing inferno. It was so futile that she felt embarrassed to have been so confident in her summoning magic. ‘……He’s on another level.’ Louisa bit down on her lip. Even though she was borrowing part of the magic circle’s power, it remained a makeshift approach. The Tower Master was using nearly 99% of its power, so the outcome was predictable. – I have a use for you, so I won’t kill you. Whoom. With that, an eerie resonance filled the air, and her vision blackened, sapping her strength swiftly. Simultaneously, the transformation of the 6th-circle magic "Devil Manifestation" dissipated, leaving a sensation like being alone, adrift in a pitch-black void. A paralyzing feeling swept over her entire body, as if she were being plunged into an endless abyss, momentarily blanking out her mind. It felt, in terms of perception, like countless time had passed. She was beginning to forget who she was and where she was. At the edge of this oblivion, something brushed against her foot, as she flailed unconsciously. “Huh…?” With a struggle, she opened her eyes, revealing a bright space filled with the sound of birds chirping. ‘What is this…?’ Startled, she sat bolt upright, and saw— “Louisa, what’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?” Advertisements Standing before her, smiling, was the person she had longed for all her life. “You seem shaken. Come here.” The hands that enveloped her in a warm embrace softly patted her back. The temperature and tender voice were too vivid to be just a dream. “Mom…?” “Yes, it’s Mom. It’s alright, it was just a dream. Everything is okay now.” ……So it was a dream. “Was it a scary dream?” “……Yes.” “What kind of dream?” Louisa’s eyes, staring at that kind and gentle smile, began to glisten with tears. “……Mom, you died. And then Dad and I…….” “That must’ve been frightening. It’s alright, Mom is right here.” “Mom…….” “Yes?” “……I missed you so much.” “I missed you too, my dear. Even while seeing you like this, I miss you still.” The soft laughter and the warmth of the embrace felt so overwhelming that she was on the verge of tears. If only all of this, the current situation, were— “……I wish this were truly real.” “What?” As a single tear trickled down her cheek, a surge of gray mana erupted from the young Louisa’s body. The warm scene shattered into pieces, revealing Louisa’s real body crumpled on the plaza floor, a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth. “Abyssal Illusion was my specialty, Tower Master!” – ……You’re quite troublesome. The Tower Master, who had just swatted away two charging holy knights with a single blow, turned his gaze towards her, now fully conscious. “I’ll block the Tower Master’s magic! Fight on!” Louisa shouted towards the perplexed knights as she mustered her mana once again. – Do you think you can manage? With the Tower Master's shout, black mist spread out once more, engulfing the knights. However— “Dispel!” Whoom. Crackle. Despite feeling the circle within her heart starting to shatter, Louisa fiercely drew in the magic circle's power, spitting blood as she dispelled the mist. “Hurry!” Advertisements In response to her desperate cry, the holy knights moved into action. ‘Damn it.’ Stefan Royer gritted his teeth as he faced the demon-shaped heretic. The situation was infuriating. The overwhelmingly powerful adversary they couldn’t overcome. The helplessness of needing aid from another heretic just to mount any resistance. ‘If Harmon were here…….’ He felt a pang of remorse at the thought of the one absent. The former captain and apostate, a saint who sacrificed himself to revive the saintess and the pope. If he were present, he might have been able to behead that demon in a single stroke. As these thoughts intruded, another question lingered. ‘Why did he refrain from making excuses?’ His past eagerness to condemn Harmon now seemed deeply embarrassment. This time, even if it cost his life, he would fill that void. “In the name of God!” Despite feeling his lifespan decreasing, Stefan used the 'Blessing of Light' once more. Then, he valiantly intercepted the demon's attack with divine aura, shouting courageously to his allies. “I’ll cover you! Astro, clear a path! Anthony, finish him off!” “Yes!” Determined to cut off the demon’s breath this time, his divine aura surged beyond its limits as he began to cleave through the torrent of dark crimson flames. ‘Ugh.’ He felt chunks of his life force being sheared away, but retreat was not an option. With the immense gap in skill between friend and foe, sacrifice was necessary. And this resolve seemed to have more effect than anticipated. “Quickly!” The repentant heretic, now back with the divine, disrupted the demon's magic, buying valuable time. Stefan and the knights slowly dismantled the demon's crimson shield. Despite watching as Astro, shield in hand, was brought to his knees by a single punch from the demon, he refused to retreat. Then, seizing the opening, Anthony leaped forward, aiming squarely at the demon's heart with his spear. ‘This is it!’ Yet, at that very moment— – Your flailing is adorable. Bang! With a cynically derisive voice, Anthony’s sacred spear, said to be like a holy lance, failed to pierce the demon’s vital point and bounced off. Crash! “No!!!” Stefan was seared with the image of Anthony’s upper body being blown apart by the demon’s subsequent punch. Advertisements Thud. The demon’s foot, rising unnoticed, crushed Astro who had yet to rise, like stepping on an insect, and the once-repentant heretic disrupting the demon's magic fell in a mess, coughing blood. – Burn, pawns of the heretics. With those words from the demon, a scorching pain engulfed Stefan’s entire body. Though writhing in agony, Stefan instinctively understood the outcome. ‘It’s over.’ Defeated. Unable to strike down the deity’s foes, they had all crumbled here. There was no guessing at the vileness the demon might unleash now. “Oh, my God!!” Even as his mind grew faint from the pain, Stefan prayed fervently to the heavens above. ‘Guide us, O God, who are foolish and simple-minded servants, save the world from impending disaster. I offer this body and soul in earnest.’ He had no doubt that his dying comrades were wishing for much the same as he. In the moment of his demise, Stefan felt his soul ascending to the heavens he’d yearned for so deeply, a smile on his lips. ‘The gods have answered the prayers……. The demon shall receive divine punishment.’ – The time of purification has ended. The demon's eyes, glancing briefly towards the skies, seemed to widen slightly. – Betrayed gods, it’s too late to act now. Had the demon sensed something? With a scoff accompanied by cryptic words, the demon shook its head. Fwoosh. Instantly, the black flames arose, transforming the massive demon back into the small, frail figure of the old man. He turned a kindly smile upon his former pupil, who stared at him while coughing up blood. “Louisa, you wretched thing. Why do you reject the truth?” “Truth? More like deceit. You trick others and call it truth?!” Unable to respond due to the blood choking her, a voice rang out from a distance. Hearing the shout, the old man’s gaze turned toward the corner of the plaza. There stood the former Eastern Wing King, Gerard, in a disheveled state, yelling futilely. ‘Even before I arrived, you’ve already exhausted yourself and are flailing about like a worm.’ The old man let out a derisive chuckle and shook his head. “How could a lowly worm comprehend His will? My decision to come here, leaving behind my divine form due to an ominous foreboding, serves as proof that His will shall be fulfilled.” “……Madman.” Louisa’s face was so ashen she looked ready to collapse at any moment. Her labored insult managed to reach the old man’s ears, albeit belatedly. “Ha ha. The betrayal has seeped into your very marrow. Well, the time for the ceremony is near, so I shall spare you until then.” Advertisements At that moment, as black mist spread from the old man's hand— Everyone in the hall, except for him, lost consciousness.