Chapter 164 : Advent of Light (1)
Advent of Light (1)
Seigon Ganest.
Every Inquisitor existed for this one man, in a manner of speaking. Inquisitors were nothing more than "test subjects," meant only to create someone akin to Pilla Ganest.
It was on the foundation of those hundreds, thousands of sacrifices that this being was finally born—a being conjured from sheer obstinance. That was Seigon's identity.
'He certainly deserves to be called a Ganest.'
Pilla, whose father was an angel, was never granted a human surname.
So, violette appended the name Ganest to Pilla—a symbol of "Setram's mightiest sword."
In other words, the greatest sword of Setram at this very moment was Seigon, standing right before me.
'Well, considering even Sehenz and Fabian were defeated, he can't be ordinary.'
In the original story, Fabian lost to Seigon and fled, only to later defeat him after acquiring the Heaven-Slaying Arms from Pilla Ganest.
Even before acquiring the Heaven-Slaying Arms, Fabian's martial prowess was monstrous, so it was clear Seigon was on another level.
[Be careful.]
Grancesia gave a brief warning.
'I know. And you be careful too.'
[Would it make a difference if I was?]
When I thought about what would happen next, it wasn't myself but Grancesia who was truly important.
If things unfolded as I expected... this would be the last time I'd ever converse with Grancesia in this way.
The thought brought a strange sense of regret.
[Stop having weird thoughts and focus on what's ahead! You're making me uneasy for no reason!]
As if she'd read my mind, Grancesia snapped sharply.
I definitely needed to focus on my own situation now.
"What exactly are you? How are you able to wield a power similar to the Sacred Arms?!"
Violette screamed at me, as if in agony, after I used the Heaven-Slaying Arms.
Given the sacrifices Setram endured to complete the Sacred Arms, it was to be expected he'd react this way.
"That's none of your business. Better prepare your neck."
"Y-You bastard! Seigon, what are you doing?! Kill that insolent heretic at once!"
Unable to contain his rage, violette erupted. At his words, the silent, observing Seigon began moving—slowly but decisively.
He stepped forward, drawing in a deep breath in his languid way.
A split second later—
KWAANG!
"...!"
A tremendous boom rang out, and in the blink of an eye, Seigon was right in front of me.
The thick greatsword he carried swung down fiercely, colliding with my gauntlet.
'A monster is a monster, after all.'
A single clash was enough to gauge his ability.
No wonder Fabian lost to him once.
His eyes were expressionless, but thanks to my Eye of Insight, I could tell.
Seigon's field of vision was wider than mine.
In other words, his mastery over Only Mind surpassed mine.
KAGAGAK!
Even so, Seigon and I were nearly evenly matched.
The reason this was possible was because the skills I had mastered were peerless techniques unmatched in this world.
Sunwheel Ascendant Heaven Sword, Heaven's Holy Ultimate Art.
The sword art Seigon had learned must be a unique Setram style crafted with utmost care, but it was sorely lacking compared to these two.
"Why can't Seigon overwhelm him?"
"This is impossible. Wasn't Seigon created specifically to defeat the Twin Poles Sword?"
I heard the murmuring of the cardinals watching the battle between Seigon and me.
They seemed greatly flustered that Seigon couldn't overpower me.
'They wanted him to face the Twin Poles Sword with this? That'll be tough.'
Ban Sylvest of the Twin Poles Sword is a Great Swordmaster.
Seigon might reach that level soon, but for now, he was no match for Ban Sylvest.
'His physical ability is impressive... but this isn't enough.'
He didn't quite match an angel, but his body, as a half-angel like Pilla, came close.
And with the Sacred Arms added and pushed to their limit, I had to use both Deltode and the Heaven-Slaying Arms simultaneously just to hold my own.
They probably thought this would be enough for him to face Ban Sylvest...
'But that's the misconception of someone who's never seen a Great Swordmaster.'
Sword God Damian Viet.
From what I had seen, the prowess of a Great Swordmaster defied comprehension.
At this level, you'd never reach them.
"KYAAAA!"
Just then, Seigon let out a monstrous shriek.
A frustrated roar directed at a foe he could not defeat.
"I expected it, but he's not human."
A being created solely to destroy an opponent.
All unnecessary emotions were removed—a monster too far gone to be called human.
[Be careful!]
With Grancesia's sharp warning, a spear of light hurled toward my back.
I spun and dodged, but part of my clothing tore away.
Violette frowned deeply at the sight, mumbling to himself.
"To dodge even that... you truly are an heir of Heaven's Holy Ultimate Art."
"All this from someone who ambushed me? How pathetic."
I smirked and mocked him, and Violette's face flushed bright red.
"Ggh! Silence! What are you doing?! Crush that insolent brat at once!"
Violette's words, filled with fury, sent the surrounding cardinals into a panic.
"B-but Your Holiness, if we attack together, Seigon might get hit as well..."
"Seigon will not break so easily. As long as he protects us, we must destroy that wretch!"
He wasn't wrong.
In essence, the priest's method of attack was not much different from a mage's. Since casting takes time, without a vanguard, they would be helpless before a knight.
So, now that Seigon was blocking me, this was the time to attack.
"A-all right. O Almighty God Altair..."
As the cardinals chanted sacred verses, Seigon instinctively adopted a more defensive posture, protecting them rather than charging at me.
'Oh? So he's not completely mindless?'
But for me, this was a golden opportunity.
'How foolish.'
If they didn't know what to do, they should have done nothing.
"If you won't come, I'll go."
Aiming at the still-defensive Seigon, I activated Heavenly Lord and threw a punch.
My fist tore through a wall of air, scattering white flashes as it collided simultaneously with his sword and deflected off.
"Fire!"
With a majestic command, the spears of light rained down like a storm.
Perhaps they weren't called cardinals for nothing—the force of those spears was such that, were I to take a direct hit, even I would be grievously injured.
Of course, assuming I got hit at all.
SWSSHSHSH!
Before the spears could touch me, they were sucked into spatial gaps and vanished.
As long as I wielded the Sword of Boundary, none of their attacks could so much as graze a strand of my hair.
"W-what?!"
Violette's shocked scream sounded strangely melodious.
'But the real deal starts now.'
Meanwhile, Seigon had to take several of the light spears that missed me with his body.
Thanks to his innately powerful physique and Sacred Arms, he was not gravely injured, but it was enough to create an opening.
"Thanks."
Heaven's Holy Ultimate Art, Second Technique.
Mystic Vision.
Surpassing sound, grasping light in my palm.
A fist transcending vision and reaching perception struck Seigon's chest.
THUD, kWAANG!
A dull impact, followed by a deafening roar, echoed in succession.
"Gah?!"
The scales that had been evenly balanced now tipped.
Anyone could see that attack was a fatal blow.
'... He withstood it?'
But internally, I was shocked.
Seigon's chest, smashed against the wall, was sunken as if his ribcage had fractured.
Yet he lived.
Even Inquisitors who used Sacred Arms, not to mention demonkin, had their entire torsos blown apart from Mystic Vision's direct hit, but in his case, it was only his ribcage that broke.
"Gurk, gllrk..."
Blood frothed at Seigon's lips, but he straightened his body.
Moreover, the sunken chest began to recover.
He didn't just possess an inhuman body—a monstrous regenerative factor was also at play.
"H-hahaha! S-see? Whatever trickery you used, Seigon won't fall to just this!"
Violette now sneered at me with relief in his voice.
"Even that technique can't bring Seigon down—now you have no chance left, heir of Heaven's Holy Ultimate Art!"
He seemed convinced I had no chance, since even my Mystic Vision, virtually a secret technique, had failed to bring Seigon down.
'He's already forgotten that they put Seigon in danger themselves.'
Had they not attacked from range, Seigon never would've taken a direct hit.
I answered, nodding as if agreeing with him.
"It's true. With ordinary attacks, Seigon can't be brought down."
With outstanding defense and regenerative power, he truly fit the bill as Setram's final weapon.
Violette beamed at what he took for praise.
He was now completely relieved.
"Yes! Now, even if you regret it, it's too late. Your reckless bravado will end with the extinction of Heaven's Holy Ultimate Art!"
"That's why I didn't use an ordinary punch."
"Haha, even if you try any trickery... Wait, what?"
I shrugged, gesturing toward Seigon for Violette to look.
"Can't you see what's wrong?"
Seigon had been continuously exposed to the Heaven-Slaying Arms' power.
Just trading blows must have been taxing, but his regeneration let him endure.
But taking Mystic Vision point-blank was another story.
Now, the power of the Heaven-Slaying Arms, which had flooded his body, was reacting explosively to the angelic blood within him, starting to burn like wildfire.
"Ggkk, aAAAH!"
With a cry of agony, fine cracks began appearing all over Seigon's body.
His body was breaking down faster than it could be healed by regeneration.
"... What is that?"
"What do you think? It means Seigon can't protect you anymore."
Seigon wasn't dead, but he was in no condition to move.
"No... No! How can you possess such a power that goes against the heavens?!"
"Oh, so even the pontiff can figure out how this power works?"
"Y-you!"
He glared at me with bloodshot eyes, but that was all. All the holy magic that could be invoked by the spears of light was useless against me.
"Now, nothing stands in my way."
I slowly began to walk toward Violette, and his expression grew ever more twisted.
But then, almost imperceptibly, his expression relaxed.
"Hufufu..."
"Y-Your Holiness?"
He began laughing like a madman.
The startled cardinals tried speaking to him, but he only wheezed until he finally spoke.
"No, you've already lost. Heir of Heaven's Holy Ultimate Art."
The previous panic was totally gone—he'd regained his solemn composure.
I could guess the reason, but still asked with feigned innocence.
"Why?"
"As a martial artist who's achieved your level, you must know already. The angels are already near. No matter what you do, your attacks will never reach me now."
THUD THUD THUD THUD!
「At last, we have found you, heir of Heaven's Holy Ultimate Art.」
Before he'd even finished, the angels crashed through the walls with golden spears in hand.
Over thirty angels in total.
Clearly, every angel in Setram had gathered here.
Violette watched them in delight, and then turned to me with cold satisfaction.
"You are strong, heir of Heaven's Holy Ultimate Art. But to face more than thirty angels is impossible."
He grinned condescendingly.
I met his gaze—and grinned right back.
At my grin, violette faltered for a moment.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Oh, nothing."
And then—
"I never expected everything to go so perfectly."
KWOAAAA!
A violet radiance shot up from the center of Setram's capital, Ilishad.