Chapter 62
Chapter 62. Hanbin
Penelope had never known before.
That one person's presence could be this intense.
Even Archbishop Hamel, who had easily overwhelmed Isolde just moments ago.
Even the believers, steeped in fanaticism, who would cast their lives away like grass.
They were overwhelmed by one man's atmosphere, holding their breath.
In the sunken silence, Hanbin took in each person around him one by one.
Isolde, half-unconscious from injuries and depleted Magic Power.
Hamel, who had been approaching that Isolde.
And even the seven believers frozen awkwardly in place.
Despite only that, the air grew taut with indescribable pressure.
"You've sent me yet another trial."
The first to speak was Hamel.
His trembling voice contained hostility, wariness, and even reverence.
To a believer, trials aren't merely objects of hatred.
They are tasks to be overcome.
"I remember. You, who infiltrated the Riduan diocese single-handedly and painted a hellscape in one night."
In that sense, Hanbin—he was like the tallest mountain.
"But today will be different."
The Hanbin of the Secret Burial Unit who made the Order tremble with fear was a 'Knight.'
The current Hanbin was an Alchemist, and Hamel still had three Magic Eaters remaining.
Moreover, what made him a fearsome existence was that he always struck unexpectedly with extraordinary methods.
For instance, when killing 200 believers in the Riduan diocese, he poisoned the wine used in the communion service and began his assault by bombing the chapel.
"You, not in the shadows..."
Hanbin cut off Hamel's intoxicated rambling mid-sentence.
"Step back from there."
His tone was genteel.
Refined speech, like gently admonishing a waiter who had committed a grave discourtesy.
"My, even in this situation you worry about comrades? Your arrogant nature, even after all this time..."
Piiing!
"Just now I—"
A ripple spread around Hanbin.
A speed where four ripples stacking four Codes felt like one.
Simultaneously, wind arose.
—Bang!
Hamel bounced away absurdly like an exaggerated cartoon portrayal.
His body, spinning like windmill blades as it flew, crashed into the giant cube forming the labyrinth.
"I said step back."
Shattered bone fragments. Amidst the resulting pain, Hamel gasped.
'What kind of monster is this...!'
That magic just now was the 4th Rank wind-type magic 'Roar of the Wind God.'
A primitive magic that strikes enemies with wind pressure, and a properly manifested Roar of the Wind God overturns a running train.
In other words, it's power that merely overturns something as trivial as a train.
However, the magic Hanbin deployed deserved the expression 'violent pressure' rather than wind pressure.
As if struck full force by a giant's hand.
'That was magic with the Chant omitted?'
But no problem.
The shattered bones had somehow returned to their original state, and the pulverized organs had recovered too.
He still had seven believers to offer as sacrifices.
"So Hanbin is Hanbin after all?"
Hamel rose from the pile of rubble.
The stabilized Magic Eaters floated above Hamel's shoulders, ready to absorb magic.
Surprised, but that was all.
After all, wasn't he an alchemist?
An alchemist standing before a dark mage equipped with multiple Magic Eaters was like trying to slay a dragon with a rusted sword.
Though weakened for some reason, even the witch who had freely wielded 7th Rank magic eventually knelt.
The method was the same.
Block 'lethal magic' using Magic Eaters.
Minor injuries would be transferred to believers through 'Substitution.'
Like a snake constricting prey to swallow it whole, he just needed to go with a leisurely war of attrition.
If he offered an existence like Hanbin, just how much power could he obtain?
How glorious a power would he receive from Him?
His heart trembled with exhilaration.
"Behold, on the day of ending, unbelievers shall lose their way in screams. I shall quench my throat with their blood."
Along with the prayer, one dying believer crumpled small.
Crack!
The moment the 'mouth' that received the sacrifice swallowed the whole space where Hanbin stood.
Hanbin pulled out an Alchemy catalyst and leaped as if bouncing.
"Ah, I praise you in ash and wails!"
Thud thud thud!
Again, six ripples stacking 'Codes' spreading almost in succession.
—Crack! Crack!
The 'mouth' repeatedly chewed through space following Hanbin's running trajectory.
To accomplish Code construction—difficult even standing still—while taking such intense evasive maneuvers.
Though an enemy, admiration came naturally.
"Isolation."
The Chant began from the moment seven Codes overlapped.
Hamel immediately counted the number of ripples.
Information about 'alchemist Hanbin' was woefully insufficient.
Because he had almost never been deployed in actual combat as an alchemist, and his strength itself was classified as the kingdom's top secret.
"Transformation."
Eighth Code.
A Unique Code.
Then at least 8th Rank?
"Appropriation."
Ninth Code.
Another Unique Code.
"Collapse."
Tenth.
Again a Unique Code.
Hamel was shocked.
To think he was 10th Rank.
Moreover, doing the reckless act of layering four Unique Codes on one magic.
It wasn't completely unexpected.
Without being at least 10th Rank, even with promotional gilding added, would the title 'Britannia's Greatest Alchemist' stick so brazenly?
Though Magic Eaters alone might be insufficient, together with Substitution, he could somehow block it.
When Hamel finished that judgment.
"Radiation."
A Chant stacking the eleventh Code continued.
Hamel felt spine-freezing terror.
"11th Rank? Impossible...!"
Was there another who had reached 11th Rank on this continent besides the 'Great Sage' and the 'Blue Dragon'?
"Meltthrough."
With a low pronouncement, Hamel felt the terror of death for the first time since joining the Order.
If it was 11th Rank magic, perhaps even mobilizing all the Magic Eaters couldn't stop it.
Soon tremendous shock and pain would strike his body.
However.
"..."
Nothing happened.
A brilliant radiance with a bluish tint briefly sparkled, then only a gentle breeze softly brushed past.
A dud.
"Today too, He looks down upon believers."
Hamel sneered with relief.
It was extremely fortunate.
Even Hanbin apparently couldn't fully stack 11th Rank Code while combining evasive maneuvers.
Well, magic used in laboratories and magic used in fierce combat differ in difficulty.
Hanbin's magic ended as a dud, and the unknown threat disappeared.
The proof being the Magic Eaters were perfectly calm.
Or so he thought.
"Argg!!!!"
Suddenly.
Until the sensation of something surging from deep in his organs boiled up.
"Guaaaghk!!!!"
Hamel, vomiting dark red blood mixed with flesh chunks, noticed a smell reaching his nose.
A musty scent like rain-soaked rusted metal penetrated the thick blood smell and filled his nasal cavity.
"Guuuaaaaghk!!!!"
Hamel's body convulsed like a fish skewered on a spear.
Terrible agony never felt before, as if his nerves were burning up.
With blood vessels bulging on his face, Hamel was no longer beautiful.
"Do you know what research I devoted myself to first after becoming an alchemist?"
Watching Hamel writhe disheveled like a drunkard tap dancing, Hanbin calmly declared.
"Methods to effectively kill you dark mages."
Those words didn't reach Hamel's ears.
His body was being thoroughly destroyed starting from the softest, most tender places.
'Not yet, it's not over yet!'
Hamel grasped his consciousness that seemed about to snap and activated the sorcery of 'Substitution.'
Through invisible spiritual bonds, he transferred the injury to a loyal believer, and fresh vitality became black energy rushing into Hamel's body.
'I, I did it...!'
Whatever trick was used to attack bypassing the Magic Eaters, now he could rest easy—
"Aaargh! Guuuaaaack!!!"
Strange.
Though he clearly received vitality, far from recovering, his body's destruction accelerated.
He changed Substitution targets several times, but the result was the same.
Hamel rolled his crushed eyes upward to look around.
"Oh, Devourer... look down upon us..."
"Guaaaghk!"
"It hurts, it hurts..."
All the believers were suffering like winged insects hit with insecticide.
Hamel understood.
Substitution worked.
The other believers definitely took Hamel's injuries.
However, no matter how many times 'Substitution' activated, Hamel's body wouldn't recover.
As if the blueprint for restoring his body itself had been destroyed.
"Y-you cursed demon bastard..."
Hamel collapsed atop the blood he'd vomited.
Alchemy's foundation is imagination and knowledge.
How vividly can you draw detailed magical images in your mental picture.
Or how deeply can you understand and recall the operating principles by which magic manifests.
These two things are important.
Hanbin's strength lay in the latter.
If you understand the concept of 'radiation,' you could easily envision 'magic that fires very small high-energy particles like a shotgun.'
'Meltthrough' was magical radiation implemented through the dual attributes of 'metal' and 'wind' that damaged biological organisms' fundamental units.
No matter how tenacious recovery through 'Substitution' might be, it's ultimately accelerated regeneration.
If the blueprint of cells to regenerate is completely burned, it's meaningless.
In reality, Hamel's body crossed an irreversible river the moment it tried to recover.
"I should retire this..."
Though he confirmed its practicality, it seemed better to seal Meltthrough going forward.
Not easy to control, and range adjustment was virtually impossible.
Unless in isolated locations with the special condition of no wind, it wasn't magic worth using.
The reason for using it despite the strain was to finish with a quick decisive battle before non-combatants like Isolde and Penelope got caught up in it.
"...Phew."
A sigh emerged.
A sigh with multiple meanings layered.
First, fortunate he wasn't late.
Running to the Demon Realm's depths immediately upon hearing from Serena had been the right answer.
An archbishop-class from the Order appeared out of nowhere and Isolde was neutralized too, so if he'd delayed even slightly, something irreversible would have occurred.
Though Isolde's injuries were serious, she had 'Life,' so with good care she'd recover quickly and...
"...Um."
As he examined the unconscious Isolde, a mosquito-sized voice came from behind.
Turning around, he saw Penelope hesitating.
It couldn't be helped.
She must have realized this time.
In any other situation, he would have at least pretended to hide his identity, but the situation was so urgent he couldn't help it.
Polymorph Potion only changed appearance.
Skeletal structure and voice remained the same.
Moreover, he'd spoken without particularly minding his speech, so there was nothing to make excuses about.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
First, he carefully surveyed the surroundings.
Fortunately, there was no place for Penelope to jump off to escape unbearable embarrassment.
"U-um... no."
Penelope still fidgeted.
Understandably so.
The person she'd been bickering with as partners until yesterday was actually her role model.
She'd even displayed such enthusiastic fandom so overtly before the person himself.
Given Penelope's personality, it was impressive she hadn't found a mouse hole to escape through.
And Hanbin was embarrassed in his own way.
Greatly regrettable to show her that the reality of the role model she so admired was a rather pathetic person.
Actually, the Hanbin in Penelope's head was excessively inflated.
"..."
"..."
Penelope showed extreme awkwardness, making it equally embarrassing together.
What would their future relationship be like?
At least it wouldn't be like before.
As he pondered this and that...
"Um... I know this really doesn't suit the situation but..."
Penelope, rubbing her knees as if not knowing what to do with herself, barely managed to hand over something.
A pen, and white paper.
Her pale face had turned red as wild strawberries.
"Could you... give me an autograph? H-here..."
"W-well, that's not difficult..."
To not run away in this situation and request an autograph...
He'd apparently underestimated Penelope's fandom.
"Oh, my name is Penelope Rosemore."
"...?"
Only then did Hanbin realize.
Penelope, possessing a brilliant mind and keen perception.
'She didn't notice.'
Not at all, she hadn't noticed anything.