Chapter 171: For The Yet Unknown Tales (2)

Chapter 171: For The Yet Unknown Tales (2)

“Aaaargh!”

An undead howled with its tattered flesh flapping in the wind.

Unlike the ones Sophia controlled, this one seemed to have had its share of knife fights in its lifetime, given its unusually savage aura.

Of course, it wasn’t able to detect me, even with my stealth and undead assimilation potion in effect.

I plunged into a group of undead, shaking the ground with their numbers.

Driven by Iona’s immense vitality, I mixed among them like a moth to flame, tirelessly moving my legs.

Being undead, they wouldn’t tire. It was wise to dope up in advance.

How long did I weave through the undead, dodging Iona’s magic in a frenzy?

Whoosh... Boom!

Suddenly, a monstrous figure fell from the sky.

With its upper body bare, its gray skin and muscular physique were clearly visible; it was easily over two meters tall.

It was so massive that it seemed inhuman, crashing down like a meteor and leaving a crater behind.

Naturally, the monsters nearby were annihilated.

But unlike the destroyed undead, this monstrous figure sustained no injuries whatsoever.

Not just unscathed, but...

“Aaaahhhhh!”

You’d think it would be demoralized from being flung so forcefully, but it roared with rage instead.

Unable to contain its fury, it emerged from the crater it created and began hurling nearby monsters.

Even now, its gaze fixed on Iona felt eerily familiar.

Rock Giant Vilfrit.

Known as the Archbishop of Reckless Roars, symbolic of rage, immensely strong and tough.

Its only weakness? Losing its rationality and easily falling into traps.

In an unprepared situation like this, it proved to be a tricky opponent.

It wasn’t the brightest, but with an unfortunately keen sense, I had to run away.

Though it was preoccupied with Iona for now, it would soon sense the discord and seek me out.

Heup!

I ducked, narrowly avoiding a thick arm that swept over my head.

A fisherman and a skeleton were compacted in its massive hand and shot towards Iona.

Naturally, hurling them from this distance didn’t achieve much.

Sssshhhhh...

The mass of flesh and bone slowed dramatically upon touching the blood-red mist surrounding Iona, then crumbled to the ground.

“Growl!”

The creature growled in dissatisfaction and, after several attempts to compact monsters into a ball,

“Arghhhh!”

Frustrated, it began pounding the ground, throwing monsters in all directions, not just towards Iona.

Swoosh! Swipe! Whoosh!

This insane creature with anger management issues...

If it couldn’t calm down, it should’ve just left quietly. Why make a scene here?

Cursing internally, I rolled on the ground to avoid a mass of monsters flying my way.

“Huff...!”

It was only because it was Iona that she could block it effortlessly. Had it been me, I’d have had to intercept it mid-air with all sorts of magic.

Since I couldn’t do that, I had no choice but to roll on the ground.

After several tumbles, the creature finally ceased its tantrum and charged towards Iona, puffing angrily.

Bang! Boom! Baaang...!

With each step, it left its footprints on the ground.

Only when I saw its figure swiftly moving away did I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Huff...”

Somehow, I managed to get through the crisis. Now, I just need to blend in with the monsters again to approach.

While shaking off the dirt and dust from my body, appreciating that minimizing unnecessary fights made the earlier struggles worthwhile...

“???”

It felt as if someone slid ice down the back of my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

Throwing magic with one hand and swinging something with the other, Iona forged and swung a great sword from her own blood in that brief moment.

This was a form of blood magic, specifically blood forging, capable of creating something out of blood.

Though the system itself was fast, Iona’s speed was on another level.

The perfectly formed blood sword aimed at Ayla’s grotesque shoulder swung down.

Losing her arm again would mean Ayla losing most of her Eyes, significantly weakening her.

But Iona wasn’t only fighting Ayla.

“This is why I hate women.”

A beautiful woman with purple hair, a pair of horns, wings, and a typical succubus tail, blocked Iona’s path.

Swoosh...

Iona’s blood sword lost its form rapidly, as if deflating, upon the succubus stretching her hand in front of it.

“Tsk.”

Iona, clicking her tongue, blinked away to create distance.

The succubus’s energy drain had similarities to a vampire’s bloodsucking. Blood, being full of life essence traditionally, inevitably loses form in front of energy drain, especially blood magic.

Of course, in a one-on-one fight with Iona, the succubus would have been decapitated before she could respond.

The succubus, knowing this, smirked annoyingly while wiping her blood-stained hand.

“Ah! But I make exceptions for lesbians. Do you like women, Sister Iona?”

“...Don’t call me that!”

Iona, infuriated, waved her hand, sending swirling droplets of blood in all directions, each with unextinguishable flames, forming a rather threatening magic.

“Don’t talk nonsense during a fight...”

A languid-voiced boy flicked his finger, creating a translucent barrier that bounced Iona’s magic away.

“See? A barrier is reliable, isn’t it? How about it? Should I step back after this is over?”

“Annoying... Just fight already...”

“Right. It didn’t even stand up last time.”

The giggling succubus and the boy sighing in annoyance looked on, along with a grumpy old man, a fat middle-aged woman oozing grease, and a man with ornate decorations and a curled mustache.

Finally, the grey-skinned monster returned with heavy steps to block Iona’s path, facing the six archbishops.

Iona growled, baring her sharp fangs.

“None of you would be a match on your own...”

“Wow... It’s been a while! Didn’t you say something similar back then, sister? Let’s see... ‘If only my body were intact, none of you would be a match’... was it?”

“......”

Ayla, smirking, taunted Iona.

Knowing it was mockery but unable to restrain herself, Iona clenched her teeth in frustration but soon relaxed her jaw.

“...No. Things are different now.”

It wasn’t about someone dying unnecessarily for her or someone sacrificing themselves for her sake.

Rather, it was Iona fighting to save others.

Personal revenge was a factor, but thinking of her students charging in hesitantly made her feel lighter.

It felt like correcting a mistake from long ago.

Iona smiled faintly, feeling liberated, and hoped to drag her damned sister along on her last journey as she gathered her magic again.

Bang!

“???”

Suddenly, an explosion sounded, and both Iona and the cultists turned their heads.

“You idiot! Why did you come back?!”

Iona was flustered enough to revert to her habitual tone.

Recognizable despite wearing a strange mask, it was Yandel, whom she thought had fled.

Yandel, talented and skilled, had somewhat surpassed the limits of a lower magician. He was actually fighting well.

But for Yandel, this act was tantamount to suicide.

It was impossible to go against the horde of monsters, and even if he somehow broke through, six archbishops and a cardinal awaited.

Even if Iona managed to hold some of them off, not all could be detained.

Surely, Yandel couldn’t handle it.

This reminded Iona of the past, of a former lord who had thrown himself in harm’s way for her.

The sight of Yandel, with his ghostly eyes tearing through a swarm of monsters, began to overlap with her memory.