CH 207

The moment when the twins appeared, there was an obvious change with the inquisition soldiers. Rather, it was not only the inquisition soldiers. The mercenaries and the other soldiers were the same.

「That unpleasant face. 」

Ardis’s expression turned ugly while going against the inquisition soldiers.

「Advance! Apostles of the Evil God must never be left alive! 」

With one of the inquisition soldiers raising his voice, the other responded. One after another as Ardis continued to cut down, however, no matter how much difference is in their strength, the enemies did not falter.

There weren’t a sliver of fear towards Ardis in their eyes, neither did excitement nor resolution were in their eyes. Their eyes only had a dangerous glint.

Ardis swung Skies of Myriad Colors at the one of the inquisition soldiers. However, that particular soldier didn’t even try to defend with his shield, but rushed towards Ardis in a suicidal manner.

「Tch! 」

Ardis stepped back at the unexpected charge. Even as his stance crumbled, the sky-colored blade cut off the soldier’s arm. The stump of the severed arm was spewing out blood everywhere.

However, he did not stop. Even if it wasn’t an immediate fatal injury, it would normally be severe enough to make him unable to move. Even though he should be trying to stop the bleeding immediately if he wanted to survive, the soldier swung his sword with his remaining arm towards Ardis.

「So persistent! 」

One of the flying swords stabbed into the back of the soldier.

「Guah! 」

The flying sword probably stabbed through his lungs. As the soldier coughed up mouthfuls of blood. However, the soldier would not stop moving and continued swinging his sword.

There was no fear nor hesitation in his eyes. It was completely dominated with hostility towards Ardis.

「These insane bunch. 」

Ardis complained after cutting off the soldier’s head. It wasn’t just him. Every single one of the inquisition soldiers that came for Ardis was the same.

Their willingness to suicidally attack Ardis without a single care for their own lives made Ardis felt chills at his back. It was not the resolution to die. Rather, they were prioritizing to kill Ardis instead of their own lives.

With no regards to the injuries on themselves, it can only be described as insanity as they only tried to fulfil their purpose.

Fanatics. Ardis only thought of them as that. It was not just the inquisition soldiers. The mercenaries and the soldiers were the same, everyone there were the same.

With a closer glance, the church’s mark was hanging on all of their necks. They were all devout believers who couldn’t walk without having the church’s mark on them at all times.

It was a gathering of people like that. Rather, if it was not a gathering of such people, they would’ve never come knowing the dangers of the Corsas Forest. On top of that, they will be facing Ardis who is known to be the strongest in the capital.

It is exactly the pinnacle of insanity.

「Die, evil apostle! 」

The inquisition soldiers that would continue to move no matter if their limbs are severed or when their lives are approaching its end.

Against Ardis, ten of such people suddenly charged in at once. They had two shields on both their arms while they charged in. With no weapons other than the shields, it also seemed like they were carrying something in their hands.

「What is it……? 」

While having a bad feeling, Ardis called back three of his flying swords, while casting wind blades. No matter if they had two shields, it’s not enough to cover their entire body.

There were multiple people who fell over as their legs were cut off, or blown into the air by large rocks appearing from the ground.

However, Ardis as well couldn’t pay attention to them all the time. After all, there’s a need to deal with the other mercenaries and soldiers coming his way.

It was at that moment.

「Nere! 」

Screams from the twins were heard from behind. Ardis who reflexively looked behind found Nere with blood dripping from her arms.

「What ha――! 」

Ardis who was about to call her realized something. One of the enemies managed to slip past Ardis’s defense in that tiny gap. It was one of the inquisition soldiers who was charging at Ardis like a mad man.

Even after losing one of his legs, he kicked against the ground as if not feeling pain, and landed near Ardis on the ground. The eyes filled with insanity were directed at Ardis.

「Rot in hell! 」

Leaving his last curse, the soldier’s both arms started to heat up. The stuff grasped in his hands scattered all over the ground near Ardis.

「Magic stones――! 」

The next moment, multiple tens of magic stones unleashed their power together. Its power unleashed at zero distance ravaged the surroundings.

Flames and intense wind blew all around. Although Ardis managed to put up a magic barrier in time, the impromptu barrier was not strong enough.

On top of that, the source of the attack was close to the point of reach. No matter how capable Ardis is, he couldn’t get away without harm.

With several lacerations over his arm and face, just as he was about to count how many of those soldiers remain――.

「Kyaa――! 」

The screams of the twins was heard once again.

「Fillia, Riana! 」

As a temporary countermeasure, Ardis used explosion arts to buy some time as he jumped upwards.

Looking over at the direction of the twins while putting up a physical barrier to deal with the arrows coming his way, there was the figure of Nere supporting the injured twins.

Anger lit in Ardis’s eyes. Ardis released mana shockwaves towards the Thoria soldiers who are aiming their bows at Nere.

Several of the soldiers were blown away and became unmoving. As Ardis landed just beside Nere and the twins, he deployed a tough barrier to protect them.

「Forgive me, it was my mistake. To think they would discard their own lives. 」

「Same for me in that regard. How is the two? 」

「Their wounds are not severe. However, a sudden barrier had its limit. They passed out after hitting their head. 」

Ardis confirmed the states of the twins with Nere. There were some bruises and lacerations, it wasn’t severe just as Nere said.

However, that didn’t mean his anger would cool. Rather, his anger only multiplied seeing the inquisition soldiers sacrificing themselves in order to kill the twins.

「For three minutes. Can you put up a five-fold magic barrier? 」

「As your wish. 」

After ending the short conversation, Ardis once again returned his gaze towards the enemies coming their way. Barriers were put up few steps away from them.

If Nere were to put up five-fold barriers just for the sake of defense, it’s unlikely that the twins would be exposed to any further danger.

The remaining enemies are less than a hundred. However, even when more than half of them had deceased, the enemies didn’t show signs of giving up.

If the enemies are going this far for the sake of killing them, then there’s no longer any room to think about lasting impacts on the surrounding forest.

「I will give you lots the time to pray. Pray to that crazy woman that you all believe in for a good afterlife. Though, it’s unimaginable that that woman would even lend an ear at your prayer. 」

「……Are you insulting our Goddess! 」

The angered plump-eared priest was replied by Ardis.

「I’m just stating a fact. 」

Ardis was the most angry one there. Contrary to his lack of intonation, burning anger was filled to the brim inside.

「Tainting our Goddess’s name multiple times, there is no longer any forgiveness! Everyone, charge in at once! Do not let the Evil God’s servant live! 」

Receiving the orders of the priest, the inquisition soldiers who were staying further back, the soldiers who were taking bows, and the remaining mercenaries all charged in at once.

Welcoming them is Ardis with his left arm reaching up to the sky.

「Disappear. 」

Together with the chilled words, his outreached arms swung down. In the next moment, ten huge masses of heat appeared surrounding Ardis and the others.

They were white burning balls of flames akin to the sun. It is the heavenly flames that would burn its surroundings just by existing.

The people at where the white flames appeared turned into char instantly, and the others nearby went up in flames before stopped breathing.

It was an instant and more than twenty had died, the next instant, the balls of white flames exploded in all directions. Following on, another sphere of light appeared on Ardis’s head. It was the same scenery as the Bow of Rainbow earlier.

However, it was no longer arrows of light that were shot, it was light beams with diameters of about ten centimeters. On top of that, it wasn’t only one of them.

The sphere of light floating above continued to shower down tens of light beams onto the earth. The light beams as if sentient sought out the remaining enemies, and burned them with its intense heat.

The enemies who luckily escaped being prey to the exploding white flames were hunted down by the light beams, and finally stopped breathing as well.

It took three minutes until everything ended. It was truly a scenery of hell when Ardis dispersed the light sphere.

Only the house protected by the barrier remained, as a hundred meters radius around them turned into a burnt landscape.

The carbonized wood turned into ash when blown by the wind, and black lumps likely originated from someone could be seen scattering amongst them.

The trees that escaped being turned into ash immediately were still burning in high heat.

With burning marks left on the ground where the light beams passed through, its tracks were scattered with chunks of meat. There were only four people left on the scene, Ardis, Nere and the two twins.

「Nere, take care of both of them. 」

「Acknowledged, my master. 」

Nere answered without hesitation at Ardis’s words. There was no longer any enemies in sight. However, Nere would’ve realized the same two mana signatures running further away from them as Ardis.

The two human sized signatures were both just around here a little while back. It was the plump-eared priest that commanded the soldiers and the previous Marquis Holguin.

The reason why Ardis purposefully casted magic barrier on them were not for the sake of letting them escape. Naturally, he had no plans of letting them live, it was because that he had things to say to them before handing them over to the afterlife.

There was still plentiful of remaining time. In any case, they would need at least three hours to escape the forest. Rather, it’s more likely for them to die by some predators on the way out.

Ardis picked up one of the mass-produced swords laying on the ground, and pursued after the two mana signatures heading outside the forest.