Chapter 274: Absolute Light Strike
From the hill where the cannon was stationed, a dazzling light spread across the battlefield.
「Whoa!」
I was still lost in thought, trying to figure out what to do about the knight women standing there, naked, when the flashing light caught my attention. Everyone around me was screaming without a sound.
「So… this is it.」
Finally, the Continent Cannon had fired. If this immense magical blast, powered by the combined force of ten thousand mages and priests across the continent, were to be given a name, it would surely be called the Aurora—the purest manifestation of magic.
Miasma exists throughout the world.
Miasma becomes orderly due to the power of creation and grows closer to holy magic as it becomes more refined.
The magic circuit Sherry designed tuned the raw miasma into a form akin to holy magic.
With the divine light emanating from it, the Royal Golden Shell shot forth at an unimaginable speed, faster than a blink—heading straight for the Great Demon God, which had made landfall on the ruins of the city of Lisbon.
――Giiiiiii!!! 「What the… whoa!」
The deafening screech of metal grinding against metal pierced my ears. It was like the sound of a giant bell ringing, so loud that it felt like my eardrums would burst.
The moment the shell struck the Great Demon God, the air erupted with rainbow-colored prisms scattering everywhere. The forces of chaos and holy magic collided in a violent clash.
――Keeeeeeooooo!
Then, an explosion.
The Great Demon God let out an unearthly wail as its colossal body slowly toppled backward. As soon as it hit the port, a massive tsunami surged outward.
The fleet stationed at sea scrambled to retreat. The already crumbling city was swept away by the waves, and a salty rain began to fall on me from above.
The Great Demon God had fallen.
「Did we… do it?」
The most powerful shell ever created, forged from the combined resources of the Eura Continent, had only been made once. It had to work—failure wasn’t an option.
But then, I saw huge tentacles rising from the ruins of the city. The Great Demon God was still alive. This was bad!
「Oracle, fly now!」
「Which way?」
「Up! Just go!」
As I feared, the massive tentacles shot up, heading straight for the cannon. Their speed was incredible—there was no way we could intercept them in time.
「I won’t let you destroy the cannon!」
「Kaara!」
Kaara leaped in front of the cannon, taking the full brunt of the tentacle’s strike.
「Aaahhhhh!」
Kaara was swallowed by the tentacles, but even with her magic power nearly depleted, she held her ground, preventing the tentacle from reaching the cannon.
「Take this!」
I swung with all my might, channeling the power of both the Sword of Light and the Neutral Sword at full capacity, severing the tentacle as it stretched towards us.
「Kaara! Are you okay?」
I pushed aside the limp tentacle flesh and dragged her out.
「Cough… cough…」
「You idiot, pushing yourself so hard…」
Despite her efforts, Kaara was completely naked, her clothes ripped to shreds by the tentacles, but she seemed surprisingly fine.
「It… it was disgusting! It went into my mouth… cough, cough…」
「Yeah, those things are slimy. Gross, right?」
I was about to console her when Oracle, clinging to my back, shouted.
「Takeru! Look!」
「What the… no way!」
The tentacles we had just dealt with weren’t the demon’s final attack. The Great Demon God was standing again.
Despite the gaping wound in its abdomen, it hadn’t fallen.
「That was… our last shell!」
We had some reserve, regular ammunition, but against the Great Demon God, it would be nearly useless. Even with Kaara risking her life to protect the cannon, we had no more effective means to bring it down.
「Takeru, the tentacles are coming again!」
「Oracle!」
A new wave of tentacles came flying toward us, and Oracle was immediately ensnared. I slashed desperately at the writhing limbs, trying to free her.
「I’ve been stripped!」
「Ah… of course…」
As long as she’s unharmed, that’s the important part. But seriously, why do these things always manage to rip off only the clothes?
「…It seems it’s finally my turn!」
「Homo…no, Nicholas!」
Archbishop Nicholas soared toward us, spreading his enormous silver wings. His chiseled physique looked like something straight out of a Herculean legend.
…But, why is he completely naked? And striking bodybuilder poses?
He wasn’t even attacked by the tentacles, so there was no reason for him to be undressed. What’s the point of that?
「Silesie’s Hero, it’s time for Plan B. That’s why Asama bestowed the power of divine creation upon me!」
「Plan B?! You know doing that could cost you your life, right?」
Plan B was to invoke Asama’s power to the fullest, turning the archbishop into a human cannonball—launching a holy-powered saint directly at the Great Demon God. We had avoided this plan before because of how inhumane it was.
But would Asama truly approve of this? Even now, despite being called upon, the god remained silent.
「Hero, please don’t make that face.」
「Nicholas…」
…At least put some clothes on.
「To die for the salvation of the world is the greatest honor for a saint. In return, I entrust you with the future of the neo homotestant.」
「Understood. I swear, in my name, I will protect your faith.」
「Now I can rest easy. Ah, to be fired from the cannon and meet my end… how fitting for me!」
With that, Nicholas climbed into the cannon, spouting his bizarre parting words. Those might be his final words, but was he really okay with that being his legacy?
「Magic recharging complete! We’re ready to fire!」
Sherry called out. Wait, that was fast.
The Continent Cannon’s barrel was already glowing with a blue-white light. It seemed that Celestina, another advance mage, had taken over the recharge process from Revenant, who was completely exhausted after the first shot.
No one had given up, even after the initial attempt failed.
「Here we go.」
Without a second thought, Wake pulled the trigger. The aurora-like light expanded once again, blindingly bright.
「IIIYYAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!」
With that all-too-familiar battle cry, Archbishop Nicholas soared toward the Great Demon God, disappearing into the rainbow-hued light.
He’s going to be like that until the end huh.
But I won’t let your sacrifice be in vain, Nicholas!