Chapter 128

Joint Combat Practice 2 (14)

?Magic power spurted out from the hands of Renos the 8th Apostle of Telos.

The magic flowing through the arm is wrapped around one of Renos’ arms and takes the form of a huge bow.

An arrow made of pure magic was fired and flew towards Lucy’s neck... Even Lucy’s hastily created defensive magic circle could not penetrate it and disappeared.

– Swish.

There are four remaining apostles.

2nd place Ruben 3rd place Taldarek 6th place Clive 8th place Renos.

As soon as she appeared Lucy knocked them both down. From the apostles’ point of view it could be said that they were already outnumbered. However if you panic here nothing will happen.

The apostles of Telos spread their wings and flew through the air widening the distance as if they had made a promise to each other.

I felt the gap in power. If you can’t see the answer right away it makes it difficult to deal with them.

By widening the distance between them they prevent them from being swept away by ranged attacks at once and at the same time it makes it difficult for Lucy to be conscious of one side or the other.

If Lucy concentrated on subduing one apostle the rest of the apostles would try to counterattack.

But that’s also the case when you can follow Lucy’s movements with your eyes.

– Quang!

The moment when I close my eyes and open them once.

The world went completely dark for a very brief moment. Lucy’s lightning magic flew in like a thunderbolt taking advantage of the gap and striking Ruben’s body directly. I couldn’t even recognize it let alone deal with it.

The point at which the robe surrounding his body burns and Ruben screams in pain.

In front of Taldarek who turned his head in response to the sound... Lucy was already right in front of her.

what... !”

Space leaping through high-level spatial magic is a magic that consumes a huge amount of magical energy but it was not a very important factor to Lucy whose magical energy itself was at an absurd level in the first place.

Long-distance jumps cause fatigue no matter how busy you are but short-distance jumps of this level can be used repeatedly as long as you concentrate a little.

This meant that there was no point in increasing the distance between Lucy and Lucy.

“Wow!”

This time Lucy lifted Taldarek by the collar and looked down at the remaining two apostles.

He still doesn’t feel the slightest emotion. Rather than fighting it looked like they were clearing away troublesome things.

Clive in the 6th position and Renos in the 8th position are also veteran magicians who have experienced many hardships.

However this was the first time I had felt such an overwhelming power gap.

Lucy Merill is a rare genius wizard who is the overall head of Sylvania Academy and a descendant of the Archmage.

It’s not that I haven’t heard of that name but I never thought that he was capable of this level.

No matter how exceptional a student is he is still a student. It goes without saying that even the Holy Emperor cannot compete with the best Holy Magician.

However Lucy Mayril did not come to this school to learn magic in the first place. Even if there is still room for growth he is already close to being a complete talent in and of himself.

No matter how powerful the holy magicians of the Holy Emperor Capital are they cannot defeat Lucy Mayril.

The proposition is as natural and reasonable as providence.

“Ugh ugh... .”

Verdio who managed to get up from the remains of the swept away seats looked up into the empty space of the chapel. And when he saw Lucy reigning supreme he stuck out his tongue.

While she was out for a moment to collect herself Lucy Mayril had already subdued more than half of the apostles. I heard rumors that she was strong but I never thought she would be this strong.

Verdio forced himself to stand up and organized his thoughts.

This subjugation of Seong Chang-ryong is an ambitious plan from the church’s perspective. An apostle of Telos is one in whom each person is treated as a core human resource at the national level. As many as six such people were mobilized.

Since they had brought in everyone except the two who would be guarding the castle capital Carpea while the castle emperor was away it was virtually the same as removing almost all of the castle capital’s manpower.

“... .”

From Verdio’s point of view there is no way to know how on earth Lucy Mayril noticed what was happening in this cathedral.

However what needed to be done right now was clear.

“Let’s secure a retreat route! “The priority object of protection is the Eldain Holy Emperor!”

That was a signal from Archbishop Verdio.

When the plan goes differently than expected a plan B has been prepared to quickly resolve the situation and get out of the scene.

The apostles who had been unable to control themselves because of Lucy’s attack heard this. Soon the apostles scattered throughout the chapel gritted their teeth and stood up.

Most of them were in a state of complete disrepair but their lives were still alive. Lucy doesn’t commit murder.

“We are retreating from the cathedral right now.”

Verdio assessed the situation in an instant.

I don’t know why but the plan to resurrect Seongchangryong using Belbroke’s molars was leaked.

Otherwise Lucy wouldn’t have been able to appear to disrupt the situation at such an opportune time.

If Lucy decides to block it she will not be able to summon Seong Chang-ryong as planned. To begin with all of the apostles were already injured. The plan must be considered a failure.

If so what you need to think about now is what to do next.

In order to increase the power of the church he planned to descend and subdue Seongchangryong.

And of course Aken Island was chosen as the stage.

There is nothing good about this being revealed to the outside world. There was a need to silence those who knew about this.

However Lucy Mayril is not something that can be done with force. However I don’t think persuasion will work.

In that case we have no choice but to use authority and power to suppress them.

“Are you trying to run away?”

Enormous magical power welled up from Lucy’s right hand. It was so much that it was impossible to believe it came from that small body.

Its gigantic shape was like a great mountain so even the apostles who had experienced it before could not help but swallow dry saliva.

And when the enormous magical power turned dark red and soon transformed into ‘aspect magical power’ the apostles who realized the opponent’s intention quickly moved their bodies.

‘Time prison’. Among the Aspect-type magics it is a type of magic that specializes in subduing opponents.

If you even brush against it time in your body stops and you cannot move until the practitioner releases you.

“Brother Taldarek... !”

After hearing those words Taldarek the 3rd Seat without hesitation attacked Lucy with a hand-to-hand attack and received the magic power of the Aspect with his body. There was even a sense of sublimity in his movements without any stuttering. He is not afraid to sacrifice.

“Brother Clive please take care of the saint and Sister Renos please move towards the saint... ! The rest of you follow me!”

Verdio’s head began to spin.

I quickly went up to the podium and picked up ‘Belbroke’s Molar Necklace’. The existence of this item would be the clearest evidence that the church attempted to summon Bellbroke. It is something that must be hidden with the highest priority.

At this point Lucy Mayril cannot be defeated by force.

However no matter how senior a student may be under the protection of a bachelor he or she cannot compare to the authority of Seonghwang.

If you ask what the Holy Emperor and the Archbishop were doing here you can just say that they were holding a brief service before entering Aken Island and starting their activities in earnest.

If she could hide and obscure the church’s plan to resurrect Belbroke in that way Lucy would simply become a terrorist who broke into the crowd of priests who were praying and unleashed magic.

No matter how realistic and honest Lucy is she cannot prove the church’s crimes without physical evidence. If you mix a spoonful of the authority of the Holy Emperor into it you will be punished without even being able to do anything. There was no way they would be lenient on a student who unleashed magic without permission in a crowded place.

“Brother Clive! Be sure to bring the saint... !”

Number 6 Clive is a man of short stature. The weapon was a dagger encrusted with various jewels.

Clive went to the saint who had barely regained consciousness and grabbed her arm.

eww... . Ugh... !”

Clarice staggered to get up but swallowed her breath when she saw the apostle right in front of her.

As Verdio watched the scene he put Belbroke’s molar necklace into his bosom.

And as he walked quickly towards the exit he made a hand signal to Clive.

“Excuse me saintess.”

Apostle Clive understood the signal and lifted up Clarice who was still unable to control herself. Then he lifted it onto his shoulder.

this... what it this... ! Put it down... ! What on earth is this... !”

The biggest variable in Verdio’s plan is Saint Clarice. This is because she knows all the truth and has the speaking power to rival the authority of the Holy Emperor.

If a saint were to come forward and make public what the church had done that would be enough to make my head hurt.

Therefore it is necessary to first place the saint under their management. You can handle the academic records part later. Since it was the Holy City that granted the saint’s permission to continue her studies the Holy City also had the authority to withdraw that permission.

In terms of time it probably took less than 10 seconds.

Verdio quickly picked out only the key points and conveyed them drawing a big picture so that the apostles could move in the most efficient way.

And he was walking toward the back door of the Bachelor’s Cathedral.

Of course there was no way Lucy would just watch that happen. Lucy threw Taldarek aside who had completely frozen and stood straight on the podium again chanting the high-ranking lightning magic ‘Never’s Punishment’.

– Hwaaaaaaaaa!

The wind blowing out from its tiny body once again surrounds the cathedral. It is simply a shock wave created by the aftermath of the flow of magical power but the surrounding debris cannot withstand it and flies off rolling around on the floor.

thunderbolt.

Lucy’s high-level magic which can be summarized in those two words instantly cuts through the air shatters the ceiling of the cathedral and then hurls itself directly at Verdio.

However just before reaching Verdio the 7th Seat Habres wraps his entire body in holy magic and takes the attack instead.

“It’s big... !”

Soon Habres lost consciousness and had to leave. Dust rose and his wings were broken. The stuck body no longer moved.

The best holy magic talents in Seonghwangdo feel like expendable items.

Loyalty alone cannot explain the way she throws her body to block Lucy’s single attack. It is already the realm of faith.

Now there are only four magicians who remain conscious.

One was protecting the Holy Emperor one had gone to retrieve the Saint and two were guarding the surroundings of Verdio.

In particular the two who were guarding Archbishop Verdio had already gotten into trouble with Lucy so it was a miracle that they were able to keep their bodies together. The most intact apostle was assigned to guard the Holy Emperor so the rest was just a matter of custom.

It was right after that that Verdio made his last effort and gave a signal.

As Verdio waved his hand the apostles seemed to have realized it and began running away in different directions.

Lenos the 8th saint held the saint tightly and flew towards the broken stained glass on the south side of the cathedral while Clive the 6th saint held the saint broke the glass on the west window and ran out.

Not to be outdone Archbishop Verdio quickly began running out the back door of the cathedral leading to the north accompanied by the other two apostles.

The Holy Emperor the Virgin and the Archbishop disappeared in different directions.

Lucy has the ability to chase down and subdue all three but time is important.

The most important thing for Verdio now is to secure time to deal with Bellbroke’s molar in his bosom. It is the most important piece of evidence that clearly reveals the dark interior of the cathedral.

Isn’t it a relic and a part of Seong Chang-ryong? It definitely doesn’t break easily. However it is small and good for hiding.

Either throw it into the sea... . Bury it in the ground... . It is easy to destroy evidence. It may seem like a waste since it is a relic of enormous value but it is nothing compared to the shaking of the prestige of the Holy Emperor’s Capital.

Corridor leading to the back door of the cathedral. Verdio ran like crazy placing an apostle in case Lucy came after him. It was Ruben in the second seat. He had already been hit by magic once so his body could hardly move but he held on with only one evil ear and gathered his divine power to block the hallway.

but... Lucy trudged over and sat down next to Ed who was completely injured. She leaned against the tree trunk together and gently buried her head into Ed’s shoulder.

“... thank you for helping.

“... .”

“There must have been a lot of things said that were hard to believe in many ways. Time is spinning Seong Chang-ryong is being resurrected... .”

“I believe everything you say.”

After hearing the whole story in Saint Edgar’s carriage the first person she went to was Lucy.

I knew where the other person was and had a rough outline of what they were planning. In that case all you have to do is go to that place at that time and use force to suppress it.

However the cautious Verdio is a poisonous species among poisonous species struggling to find new moves even in extreme situations.

Therefore Ed was waiting at the back gate of the cathedral separately to check all of his last struggles.

“To be honest I was skeptical but after entering the cathedral I became convinced. “Actually as you said the clergy were gathering and plotting a plot.”

but... . I guess so... .”

“And I was already feeling something like déjà vu. A familiar feeling somewhere... . “It feels like I’ve seen a similar scene.”

I couldn’t help but tilt my head at those words. If Lucy felt that way about time rewinding then everyone else must have felt that strange sense of déjà vu too. This part was more likely to be Lucy’s illusion.

Lucy wrapped her arms around Ed and buried her head in his shoulder. He looked upset but there was nothing more he could do.

However there was still work left to be done.

– Kugugu Palace

– Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

The vibration of the earth that had just started shaking.

Soon little by little the intensity increased and Seongchangryong’s roar rang out as if it were ear-piercing.

You cannot fully see it in the eastern forest area. This is because the trees are dense. I can only guess its appearance from the silhouette vaguely visible between the leaves.

Disaster arrives.

Ed’s breathing was about to stop. A grandeur greater than expected. Ed already knew a lot about Seong Chang-ryong thanks to his knowledge of the future but even so the sight of that enormous figure made him swallow his breath in vain.

“... There is still magic in Velbroke’s molar necklace. “This relic’s mere existence is like a magnet that attracts Bellbroke.”

“... .”

“It doesn’t end when we subdue Archbishop Verdio. We have to get off the island with this artifact. If possible go to a place as far away from Seongchangryong’s seal as possible. “It’s late now though.”

Ed worked hard to straighten his body and spoke while looking directly at Lucy.

“Everything has been revealed. Who created this hell how did they do it and where did they do it? And how to stop it. How will a cornered opponent respond? How can I turn everything back to how it never happened? Everything came out. the problem is... “There is no one here to ‘remember’ this.”

It is Adele who is turning back time. Now that Seong Chang-ryong has arrived again he will rewind time once more before it becomes an even bigger disaster.

And Clarice is someone who is not affected by Adele’s power.

Two people who remember everything even if time goes back. Ed had to tell one of them everything he had learned right now.

therefore... Because either one is good... I... The things we talked about... Please pass it on... Right Now... Adele... Before turning back time... .”

“... .”

Lucy quietly looked up at Ed. It still looks covered in blood stains.

Even though he was injured and losing strength he seemed to be trying hard to come up with the next solution to solve the problem. Was it heartbreaking to see that?

“... no.

The answer was unexpected.

what?

“It doesn’t matter.”

Lucy remains in Ed’s arms and soon one of the sleeves of Ed’s clothes is torn off with magic.

Then I focus on that piece of pure white shirt and give it magical power. Soon my sleeves got scorched and charred marks started to appear.

The black marks that at first looked like simple burn marks... When I put it all together it was a list of letters.

The process of writing letters by burning clothes using magical heat.

It may seem easy when you say it but the ability to fine-tune mana to this degree was at a level that transcended human capabilities. To create the shape of letters the thickness of the strokes must be very thin. Being able to control the heat so delicately is truly amazing.

I am once again reminded of the fact that this is a girl who has mastered not only the absolute amount of mana but also the ability to respond and control to the limit.

A piece of shirt with long letters written on it flies through the air and towards the bachelor’s degree using magic power. Perhaps the destination will be in front of the sacrificial shrine where Adele is praying.

okay... thanks.

Seongchangryong roars. As if tearing the earth apart.

A relatively distant corner of the forest on the eastern side of the island.

There Lucy... I quietly snuggled into Ed’s arms.

“I am. “I had a promise with my grandfather that I would save this school from a big crisis at least once.”

“Yeah I know. “I told you last time.”

huh. So if time had kept spinning I would have run out to fight that dragon without fail. “I somehow feel like that was the case.”

Ed wasn’t sure but what Lucy said was true.

Lucy Mayril did not miss a single point in the numerous episodes and jumped out to block Seong Chang-ryong. He wasn’t even sure he could win and had to risk his life... He never ran away.

I am... Because I came to this school to keep my promise to that old man... . Maybe he was just waiting for this moment. “I really felt like this was the moment I had been waiting for.”

okay?

huh. Because it’s the last promise I have left. How long have I waited for this promise to end? “Now the tiresome wait is over.”

Suddenly Ed felt the magic wrapped around Lucy’s body weakening.

Ed quickly noticed. Lucy was dispelling various protective and defensive magics that were wrapped around her body.

“But if you’re going to die struggling anyway... And if blocking it is meaningless... I don’t think there’s any need to try to stop it. Because time goes back.”

“What does it mean?”

“I want to die in your arms.”

The true meaning of those words... Ed didn’t know either.

Leading a body that doesn’t move well... He patted Lucy’s back and hugged her.

Lucy rested her chin on Ed’s shoulder... I looked up at the sky of a world about to be destroyed.

Then as always he spoke quietly in a blank tone.

“I’m sure it’s a memory I’ll forget anyway. It’s a memory that will never come back... .”

“I guess so... ? maybe... .”

“Then I’ll tell him...” . Just things I normally wouldn’t say.”

It’s embarrassing but... However it is not overly romantic. It’s just a story about facts as they are.

And it’s a story that Lucy probably couldn’t tell Ed for the rest of her life.

“I feel so empty without you.”

“... .”

“So don’t disappear... .”

At those words Ed kept quiet for a moment and then... .

“... “It’s not that difficult of a request.”

He answered and patted Lucy’s head.

After that I quietly looked up at the sky.

Seongchangryong’s scales.

Black dots pouring down like arrows.

Ed quietly closed his eyes and felt Lucy’s warmth.

Soon the scales came pouring down. In it Lucy and Ed hugged tightly and did not offer any resistance.

The scales pierced their bodies and blood overflowed but neither of them let out a scream of pain or a groan.

Just feeling each other’s warmth and bleeding for a long time... Their bodies were overlapping.

And so Ed and Lucy die.

Even after the rain of scales passes by the two still hug each other tightly... It was as if he was feeling the warmth between the two.

It seems vain but... It was a beautiful death.

***

“Ed... . what’s the matter... ? Are you sick... ?”

The sound of Yenika calling.

uh? what?

“You’ve been dazed since a while ago. west... It might make you nervous to see the saintess looking at you so obviously but... .”

“Oh I see... ?”

I shook my head and patted my head. I haven’t been overdoing it lately. There was already a joint combat practice just around the corner so there was no need to put too much strain on my body.

But why can’t I come to my senses like this? Maybe I should have studied a little more leisurely.

That thought kept coming to me so I put down the Introduction to Sexual Positions I was reading.

Only then did I remember the current situation.

I am sitting on the bench in front of Glokt Hall to practice joint combat. All you have to do is check the lineup and perform well in practice as scheduled.

However suddenly Clarisse a saint who was not scheduled to participate in today’s training appears... Staring at me clearly... .

Suddenly he approaches me with great strides.

He walks forward without hesitation with an expression as if he has something definite to do. When I saw that I realized something was wrong and put the book down.

“... .”

However a splitting headache continues to attack my brain.

The sight of Saint Clarice approaching me with great strides... It crackles like noise and puts pressure on me right now.

It’s like watching a TV screen with unstable radio waves... Various landscapes that seem to overlap here and there.

It felt like the silhouette of a walking saint split into dozens of branches and approached me in subtly different ways.

In such a headache... To clear your thoughts.

Towards the cover of the book I left unread... I lowered my gaze.

It was the last book written by Archmage Glokt Introduction to Aspects.

==== [Magic ability details]

Grade: Skilled Magician Specialty: Element Common Magic: Fast Casting Lv 12 Mana Detection Lv 13 Fire Element Magic: Combustion Lv 17 One-Point Explosion Lv 2 Wind Element Magic: Wind Blade Lv 15 Aspect Magic: Aspect-level Magic Manifestation Lv 3 (up) !)

Temperature Transformation Lv 2 (up!)

Death Immunity Lv 0 Time Prison Lv 0 Short-distance spatial movement Lv 0 Forced Gathering Lv 1 (up!)