Chapter 269: Soul Transfer Ritual [3]
Chapter 268
───────────
Episode 69 - Soul Transfer Ritual [3]
─────────────────────────────────
"Aah!"
".....!"
I staggered slightly and ended up falling onto my butt as I instinctively covered myself with my arms to avoid the attack.
’Aah, shit, why are visions so immersive?’
I clicked my tongue inwardly and immediately used my senses to assess the current situation before nodding.
’First of all...’
I began thinking about what I should do next.
First, during the vision, I had fought against two enemies simultaneously for eight minutes.
I had to reduce that time to six minutes, or else kill all three Cardinals in a single strike before ten minutes had passed.
Eyes of the End only lasted for ten minutes. After that, I would have to endure its side effects.
’And then there’s the Pope.’
Due to his current condition, the Pope couldn’t use magic. That was why I had assumed he wouldn’t intervene while I fought the Cardinals.
However, after discovering that the staff was a Relic containing Nine-Star Magic or even something higher, I had to find an opportunity to kill him.
’The problem is that Cardinal who will be by his side at the beginning.’
That Cardinal never strayed too far from the Pope, and judging from what I had seen in the vision, she possessed extraordinary agility.
If I let my guard down, she could return to the Pope before I even had a chance to attack him.
’Mhm...’
I reflected for a few moments before changing my approach.
Instead, I analyzed the weaknesses of the two Cardinals once again.
I could defeat them a little faster now since I knew both their strengths and their weaknesses.
’Good. I already obtained the information I needed from the vision. Now, my main target is that Relic.’
I rose from the ground and spread my senses throughout the Grand Holy Hall.
I waited for one second...
Two seconds.
Three seconds...
Four seconds...
And...
Five seconds.
Bang!
Using ’Spatial Movement,’ I teleported into the Grand Holy Hall.
"Third Form: Intent."
Slash!
Countless invisible blades pierced through space as their movements accelerated due to time manipulation.
In the blink of an eye, I attacked the three Cardinals, who were standing together.
At the same time, Liora appeared in front of Rinna, while my Master attacked the Archbishops.
Boom!
The Cardinal named Beatrice disappeared and, in an instant, appeared in front of Liora to attack her.
However...
’Use Light Expansion.’
I sent Liora a mental message.
The moment she received my message...
Slash!
A white radiance covered the entire Grand Holy Hall, and Liora, along with Rinna, disappeared to a considerable distance away.
The next second, the Pope shouted.
Beatrice also disappeared, and just as the Pope shouted at the two remaining Cardinals, Abraham and Julius...
"Third Form: Intent."
I attacked the position where the two Cardinals were standing once again.
However, this time, I didn’t pause and continued attacking.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The countless invisible blades tore apart everything around them, regardless of how hard or durable whatever they struck was.
Cardinal Abraham raised his greatsword and went on the defensive, while Cardinal Julius positioned himself behind him.
Slash!
".....!?"
Suddenly, I stopped attacking.
I clasped my hands together, formed a Hand Seal, and muttered:
"Thorn Grave."
Darkness began swirling beneath the feet of the two Cardinals.
The next second, enormous spikes erupted from the ground.
Then...
Boom!
Swinging my sword again and again while using the Third Form of Inverted Heaven, my Sword Intent rose to a considerable level.
Bang!
The ceiling of the Holy Church, its walls, and the pillars began to collapse.
Using Gravity, I completely destroyed the ceiling and manipulated the debris, causing it to come crashing down upon the two Cardinals at terrifying speed.
Bang! Bang!
A storm of dust rose and covered the entire Grand Holy Hall.
’Perfect.’
I nodded inwardly and turned my head toward the Pope, who was protecting himself behind a Mana shield created through some Magical Item.
"Gravity."
I concentrated Gravity around the Pope and the staff he was holding in his hands.
Then...
Boom!
The Pope’s expression twisted, and his gaze immediately turned toward me.
At that moment, I smiled and said:
’I win.’
"....!?"
Slash!
The Pope was gripping the staff so tightly that when I manipulated Gravity around it, his body was launched away along with the staff at considerable speed, straight toward the massive debris.
Bang!
A huge cloud of dust rose from the spot where the Pope crashed.
Without stopping, I used Gravity once more and sent the staff flying while the Pope’s severed arm was still clutching it.
’That old man had his hand practically glued to the staff.’
An incredulous smile appeared in my mind, but I quickly composed myself.
This was because, sensing someone’s movement, I turned my head and realized that an enormous sword had appeared mere inches from my face.
Bang!
Thanks to my agility, flexibility, and senses, I easily dodged Cardinal Abraham’s greatsword.
A crack that split the ground dozens of meters away continued spreading without stopping, cleaving the entire structure of the Holy Church in half.
At that moment, Cardinal Julius appeared behind me and unleashed a barrage of punches.
Slash!
I gritted my teeth and dodged Cardinal Julius’s fists. However, just as I was avoiding his attacks...
Boom!
The air vibrated, and the sword, covered in an enormous amount of Mana, tore through space at incredible speed.
Clank!
I raised my sword and assumed a defensive stance.
Then, the impact of the greatsword against my sword unleashed a powerful wave of Mana that reverberated loudly throughout the surroundings.
Everything made of glass shattered into pieces.
’Damn it...’
Cursing inwardly, I poured even more Mana into my body and swung my sword.
"Second Form: Time."
The world around me became incredibly slow.
Cardinal Julius’s punches slowed down, as did the movements of Cardinal Abraham’s greatsword.
"Imperfect Heavens Art, Fourth Stance: The Art of the Nine Perfect Heavens."
The world before my eyes changed.
Then, using both my palms and the backs of my hands...
Boom! Slash!
I not only deflected the sword and the barrage of punches, but also redirected both attacks back toward their respective owners.
"....!?"
".....!"
Cardinal Abraham’s greatsword suddenly changed direction and, instead of continuing forward, swung back toward him.
The muscles in his arms tore apart as he struggled to stop his own sword. However...
Slash!
A massive wound opened across his entire chest.
On the other hand, Cardinal Julius was struck by a barrage of punches all over his body.
Crack! Crunch!
The sound of his bones breaking completely could only be perceived by me thanks to my senses.
’Now I need to take to the skies.’
Three-meter-long black wings emerged from my back.
Then...
Whoosh!
I flapped my wings and, in an instant, soared into the sky.
The cool night breeze and powerful winds battered my body from every direction.
Once I reached a height of several dozen meters, I used my senses to observe my surroundings.
And right at that moment...
Bang!
The two Cardinals left below rose into the air and flew toward me at incredible speed.
The instant they came toward me, I muttered:
"Gravity."
Huge chunks of debris and pillars shot toward the duo.
Bang!
Cardinal Julius struck the pillars as he came to a stop.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Abraham cleaved the massive chunks of debris flying toward him in half.
However, hurting them wasn’t my objective.
’They’ve already used too much Mana to regenerate their wounds.’
After noticing that the injuries they had suffered moments ago had disappeared, I realized they had been forced to expend a considerable amount of Mana to regenerate.
And by using the debris, I was forcing them to waste even more.
’I only have four minutes left.’
Up to this point, I had managed to save one minute.
’Now, use up the rest of your Mana.’
I began gathering a massive amount of Mana within the blade of my sword.
Thanks to my natural Mana recovery, I wasn’t too concerned about using at least 70% of my Mana in a single attack.
In just three to five minutes, I would recover all of my Mana.
By then, I had already recovered 80% of my total Mana reserves.
Then, I used 50% of the remaining Mana and concentrated it into my sword, completely enveloping the blade.
Finally, when a massive amount of Dark Mana had gathered within the blade, I muttered:
"First Form: Space."
A massive crack opened in the space before me.
Then, I swung my sword.
Boom!
A blade of Dark Mana passed through the crack and, mere inches away from the duo, another crack appeared.
The blade of Dark Mana emerged from it.
"...!?"
Cardinals Abraham and Julius reacted within a single second, causing an enormous amount of Mana to surge from their bodies.
Cardinal Abraham raised his sword, while Cardinal Julius covered himself with both arms.
Then...
Bang!
The duo’s bodies were sent flying and crashed into the ground, causing the marble and earth beneath it to rise and form a massive crater.
Dust rose into the air in an instant, covering a large portion of the Holy Church.
Then, the walls and the rest of the Holy Church’s roof began collapsing.
By that point, there wasn’t a single structure left standing within a two-kilometer radius.
A massive crack fifteen meters wide and half a kilometer long stretched across the center of the grounds.
Meanwhile, the enormous crater that had just formed had practically wiped out the structure of the Holy Church.
Massive chunks of debris and pillars covered the entire area, while a dense cloud of dust rose into the air.
’I don’t think I seriously injured them.’
The attack’s primary purpose had been to force them to use at least 70 or 80% of their Mana.
"All right, then let’s finish these two off..."
"....!?"
At that instant, I sensed an enormous killing intent accompanied by an extremely fast movement.
Because my flight speed wasn’t particularly high, I couldn’t dodge the attack.
However, at the last second, I used my arms as a shield.
Bang!
The impact tore through the sky.
The wind around me thundered violently, and in the blink of an eye, my body was sent flying and crashed into the ground.
Bang!
The earth was thrown several meters into the air as I continued being pushed backward, leaving a trail in the ground behind my back.
"Spatial Movement."
I appeared dozens of meters away from where I had fallen.
And at that instant...
Bang!
The ground trembled and the earth was thrown into the air.
Where a woman in loose robes had been standing before, she now stood there with a mace held in both hands, its head embedded in the ground.
Clank! Clank!
At the same time, near the woman, the two Cardinals emerged from the rubble, covered in severe wounds that were still clearly visible.
’Cardinal Beatrice, Abraham, and Julius...’
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
This was because the three Cardinals had finally reunited.