Chapter 33

Chapter 33. Ranpelt Mansion (2)

Each time the red sword flashed, red blood splattered.

Under the misty night sky, red rain fell, accompanied by screams.

“Aaah!”

“Aaargh!”

Serati continued to sweep through the battlefield.

As expected of an Aura User, a warrior who had transcended the limits of humanity, her sword showed no hesitation.

When she swung her sword, she cut through blades, and when blocked by shields, she sliced through them as well.

However, Varos, who was watching the scene, clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘Is it because she’s still at the Red Level? Her movements are...’

The stages of an Aura User are divided into five levels.

The Red Level, where one handles aura that burns like fire.

They are called Red Knights and use a red aura. This level, where they draw out aura to exhibit destructive power that transcends human limits, is known as the Strongly Able stage.

Even at this level, one could gain fame anywhere. In remote areas, a single Red Knight could significantly alter the power dynamics.

The next stage is the Blue Level, where one handles aura as calm as water.

They are called Blue Knights and use a blue aura. At this stage, they can control aura with finesse, combining overwhelming destructive power with delicate skill, known as the Skillful and Strong stage.

These warriors are known throughout the kingdom as powerful figures, typically invited by high-ranking noble families or serving as royal knights. If they prefer not to be tied down, they often work as top-tier adventurers.

Beyond this, one becomes known as a Purple Knight.

At this level, where the red and blue auras merge into a purple aura, one reaches the Perfect Unity of Strength and Skill stage, where the control over aura is completely mastered.

This is the realm of true superhumans who have transcended the limits of humanity, often becoming the leaders of prestigious knight orders or the Empire’s strongest knights.

Breaking through another barrier allows one to handle silver aura.

These are known as Silver Knights, or Silver Warriors, a stage where one not only masters skill and power but also surpasses the common understanding of swordsmanship.

This stage allows a warrior to not just imbue objects with aura, but to materialize and wield the aura itself. Imperial Knight Commanders or the Guardian Knights of a kingdom typically reach this level.

Finally, there is the ultimate stage, the Golden Knight.

In this stage, where everything is in perfect harmony, transcending reason, it is said that with just one sword, even the winds and clouds can be controlled.

This is the realm of a war god, virtually an army of one, where only the Four Great Martial Kings have reportedly reached.

Varos, who had once been the Death Knight Lord, was a supreme warrior among the supreme, having even crossed swords with the Four Great Martial Kings in his prime. Thus, Serati’s movements couldn’t help but catch his eye.

‘Ah, that’s not how you should move.’

‘Ah, you shouldn’t do that there.’

‘Ah, why so many unnecessary movements?’

Of course, in his current state, he had no right to criticize Serati.

How could someone who couldn’t even handle aura dare to look down on anyone?

‘Sigh, I should just know my place and focus on my own business.’

Kicking away an approaching soldier, Varos once again focused on the battle.

The soldiers of the Ranpelt estate didn’t target Serati alone. The more seasoned ones actually concentrated their attacks on the rest of the group.

Wouldn’t it be much more feasible to capture one of her comrades as a hostage rather than face that terrifying Aura User directly?

The problem was that these comrades were anything but easy targets.

“Explode, Explosion!”

Riltein’s fireball struck the barren garden. With a loud explosion, a gust of wind surged, and black smoke billowed up.

KABOOM!

“Charlie’s down!”

“Damn it! Fall back!”

“Aim for their backs! Go for their backs!”

“Throw the daggers! Throw the daggers!”

“Hey! How can you shout that out loud?!”

Those trying to strike from a distance were swiftly dealt with by Serati.

“Hmph! Who said I’d let you do that?”

Despite never having practiced together, the two were executing coordinated attacks with remarkable precision. Karnak couldn’t help but be impressed.

‘As expected of veterans.’

‘Indeed. Their experience allows them to coordinate effortlessly, even improvising on the spot.’

But what they didn’t realize was that the ones who were truly surprised were actually Serati and Riltein.

‘No way, those two...’

‘How are they fighting so seamlessly?’

Karnak and Varos moved in perfect sync.

Varos would strike and retreat, Karnak would cast spells, and they continuously shifted positions, yet never showed an opening.

Maintaining the most advantageous positions throughout the battle, they fought with such calm and precision that no matter how many Ranpelt soldiers charged at them, they were like an impregnable fortress, unshakable.

As a result, the number of enemies they had defeated was more than double that of Serati and Riltein.

How could the combination of Varos, who wasn’t even an Aura User, and Karnak, a 4th Circle magician, be stronger than the duo of an Aura User and a 6th Circle magician?

‘No wonder Priest Alius praised them so highly—there’s a good reason for it.’

‘Their battle sense is incredible, really.’

In truth, it was simply because Karnak and Varos had fought together for far too long.

“Go, Specter! Drain every last drop of their life force!”

The Specter let out a terrifying wail, exuding an overwhelming aura that filled the area.

Screeeech!

* * *

The Specter was a high-ranking undead among spirits.

Without the power of a priest, neither swords nor magic were very effective against it. As such, even elite warriors and magicians found it difficult to confront if they weren’t familiar with fighting the undead.

Its power was so formidable that a single Specter had once wiped out an entire village.

The necromancers were convinced that these arrogant intruders would soon be dead.

However...

“The light of the Goddess shall punish all that is unholy!”

Alius’s oak staff emitted a brilliant flash. In an instant, the Specter’s advance slowed.

The necromancers flinched and let out a groan.

“What?”

Riltein quickly followed up with his spell.

“Piercing spear of flame, Flame Spear!”

The fiery spears pierced through the Specter’s body like skewers, targeting its now sluggish form.

“...What the...?”

At the same time, Serati unleashed her red aura-infused sword.

“Hiyaah!”

With a light shout, she sliced the Specter cleanly in half, causing it to vanish into thin air.

“...W-What?”

Unfortunately for the necromancers, their opponents included a priest and people experienced in fighting the undead.

It took only a few seconds for the Specter they had painstakingly summoned to dissolve into nothing.

Serati grinned as she watched the necromancers, now stunned and speechless.

“Now, we just need to capture those guys and head back, right?”

“Yes, indeed. Things are turning out easier than expected.”

Normally, they would have extracted the Doom of Darkness and ended it there, but these men needed to testify to the crimes of the Ranpelt family, so capturing them was necessary.

“It seems the earlier battle was more troublesome than this.”

With a slight laugh, the red-haired beauty swiftly leaped forward.

In a blink, she closed the several meters between herself and the necromancers, appearing right in front of them.

The terrified necromancers fell back in shock, landing on their rears.

“Huh, huff!”

Then, it happened. The heads of the fallen men suddenly exploded.

Bang! Pop!

Flesh flew in every direction, and blood splattered all around. Alius shouted in alarm.

“Miss Serati! I said we needed them alive....”

“It wasn’t me!”

She turned around in confusion.

Suddenly, the surroundings began to change.

Woom woom woom woom!

With a bizarre noise, the walls started to distort, transforming into dark red masses of flesh. The floor turned into a squishy, bloody swamp, and countless grotesque tendrils sprouted from the ceiling.

It was truly a nightmarish scene.

Alius was taken aback.

“...What... What is this?”

He had dealt with many necromancers in the past, but he had never seen anything like this.

Typically, necromancers would summon spirits, ghouls, or zombies. The more powerful ones might even summon demons from hell, but even then, they would only shroud the area in a thick, ominous aura.

But this?

In an instant, a normal noble’s mansion had been transformed into a hellish landscape.

This was an extraordinary feat, altering the very space itself.

Riltein and Serati were just as stunned. This seemed like something out of the legends they had heard as children about necromancers.

“This... Is this actually possible?”

“So it wasn’t just a made-up story?”

As the group struggled to make sense of the situation, a voice suddenly echoed.

“Haha, well now...”

The voice came from one of the fallen necromancers.

“An Aura User and a 6th Circle magician... quite the catch...”

It wasn’t the voice of the necromancers.

After all, how could it be, when the sound was coming from the throat of a corpse whose head had just been blown off?

“Even Inquisitor Alius has come? It seems these useless fools had some value after all.”

Alius recognized the owner of that voice.

“...Bishop Shutraff?”