Extra 15 The Assault on the Pope (2)

Extra 15 The Assault on the Pope (2)

Extra 15 The Assault on the Pope Part 2

Editor: Tseirp

Two weeks had passed since the announcement that Graham would ascend as the next Pope following the results of the papal election.

The enthronement ceremony was about to be held in the amphitheater.

Typically, the enthronement ceremony is conducted within the Papal Palace the day after the papal election concludes.

On the third day following the election, the newly elected Pope appears before the believers donning the papal robes and crown.

However, this time, the enthronement ceremony was to be held in the amphitheater.

This was not unprecedented.

But extremely rare.

Having only occurred twice in the past three hundred years.

Moreover, this time, the delegation from the Central Countries was present as honored guests.

The delegation was seated in the front row of the audience, similar to the papal inauguration ceremony.

The difference this time was that the civil officials were absent, with only the delegation leader and their guards present.

This was because they had been informed that the assembly hall would soon become a battlefield...

“Will the vampires really come?”

Hugh McGrath, the leader of the Kingdom’s delegation, murmured.

“We’ve seen vampires before, but we’ve never fought them.”

Whispered Niels, the swordsman from ‘Room 10’.

“The passageways leading to these seats are completely sealed off this time. The people coming from outside will enter directly to the central area, right?”

“Yes. Everyone went out of their way to climb the stairs and reach these seats.”

Etho, the priest, and Amon, the swordsman of ‘Room 10’, were conversing.

The amphitheater had undergone thorough renovations.

Previously, it was possible to access the audience seats from the stairs, but that was no longer the case.

Thus, the audience seats were supposed to be safe, but...

Three years ago, the three members of ‘Room 10’, Hugh, the hero party, and a certain water-attribute magician fought against vampires and their followers.

The vampire was a ‘Count’ who wielded dark-attribute magic.

“I was mentally controlled back then.”

Hugh recalled the memory, his face grimacing with a look of resentment.

Frankly, he hoped to avoid facing such foes in large numbers again...

However, within the Kingdom’s delegation, Hugh had to take the lead.

This was because his holy sword, Galahad, had the ability to seal regeneration.

The most troublesome aspect of vampires is their ability to regenerate quickly when cut by an ordinary sword.

But with Hugh’s Galahad, that regeneration could be prevented.

Therefore, he had no choice but to cut down the vampires on the front lines...

“What a hassle...”

His murmur was so faint that no one else could hear it.

The enthronement ceremony was very brief compared to the inauguration ceremony.

The next Pope would don the white papal robes and the three-tiered crown.

Then hold the ‘Papal Staff’, a one-meter-long staff with a white jewel.

This appearance would be shown to the clergy.

That was all.

There would be no declaration of policies or speeches.

Those would be given at a later date during a formal audience with the believers.

Due to the brevity of the enthronement ceremony, the attackers had little time to act.

It happened when Graham donned the three-tiered crown.

“They’ve come.”

Graham muttered, looking toward the arena entrance.

Cardinal Stefania, the new cardinal, also seemed to sense it.

Taking the holy sword prepared for this occasion from Archbishop Schlotter who stood behind her.

Ten seconds later.

The doors at the arena entrance were blown off.

Riding the momentum of the explosion, numerous figures charged towards the newly crowned Pope Graham.

“What in the world is that number...?”Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com

Hugh McGrath muttered from the audience.

Over a hundred figures were attacking.

“Over a hundred vampires?”

“We struggled so much against just one last time.”

Etho murmured, while Niels looked stunned.

Indeed, roughly over a hundred vampires.

However, none of the clergy moved. No, they did not budge.

Only Graham raised his right hand.

And then forcefully swung it down.

Seeing this, Cardinal Adolfito and the other cardinals and archbishops confirmed the signal.

And began channeling their magic into the magic stones they held.

Bwoom!

A dull, low sound resonated throughout the arena.

Simultaneously, something was drawn on the ground.

“A magic circle?”

“Aren’t magic circles usually round?”

“Is that... a star shape?”

“But, Marquis, look at what has become of your allies.”

Graham pointed out the situation in the arena.

More than half of both the first hundred vampires turned into puppets by Graham and the second wave of a hundred had been defeated.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Dinu Lesco smiled slyly.

The reason became clear immediately.

“There’s something in the sky...”

Stefania exclaimed, looking up.

Dozens of vampires were seen descending into the amphitheater from the sky.

Although they were vampires, they weren’t flying as bats or with wings.

Had a certain water-attribute magician been present, he might have exclaimed;

“Gliders!”.

Yes, over fifty vampires were attempting to attack from the sky using something like gliders.

The amphitheater had no roof.

It was open to the sky.

An aerial assault was entirely unexpected...

But in the audience seats, there was an exceptional fire-attribute magician.

Count Oscar Rusca, the Explosive Blaze Magician.

“”.

The moment he chanted, a blinding light filled the sky, forming a white curtain.

It was a curtain of scorching flames... so hot that it appeared white instead of red...

The curtain of flames engulfed the airborne vampires in an instant... evaporating them entirely.

Even vampires, with their unparalleled regenerative abilities, vanished without a trace when evaporated in an instant.

“Impossible...”

Marquis Dinu Lesco muttered as he caught sight of the scene out of the corner of his eye.

“I agree, it’s unbelievable. But there are terrifying magicians in this world.”

Graham said with a wry smile.

Indeed, he could only smile wryly.

Such a spell was impossible to defend against...

“Retreat!”

Dinu Lesco ordered and made a large backward leap.

Simultaneously, he pulled something from his pocket and smashed it on the ground.

A thick white smoke billowed up from the smashed object.

The surviving vampires from the second wave did the same, and the arena was quickly filled with smoke.

“Don’t pursue them!”

Graham shouted immediately.

They had managed to fight advantageously this time due to the trap, but vampires were never easy opponents.

Even artificially accelerated ones...

“Your Holiness, a marquis...”

“Yeah, it was a bit surprising.”

Graham nodded in response to Stefania’s words.

“But in a way, it was a relief. If he was our only opponent, we could manage with proper preparations.”

“Is it because he wasn’t the ‘Hal’ you mentioned earlier?”

“You heard that.”

“Yes. ...Who is this ‘Hal’?”

Stefania asked.

Graham hesitated before answering.

This was unusual.

It meant that even for the person he trusted most, Stefania, he was reluctant to disclose the information.

“Keep this to yourself. ‘Hal’ is... something like the leader of the vampires.”

“A duke, or perhaps a grand duke?”

“No, not like that. He’s extraordinary in all aspects... you could say he is the final evolved form of a vampire.”

Graham spoke while shaking his head slightly.

He might have been picturing ‘Hal’ in his mind.

“In terms of swordsmanship, I don’t even come close. He could defeat me as easily as twisting a baby’s arm.”

“No way...”

“He can wield all six attributes of magic.”

“...”

“Moreover, he’s a genius in alchemy.”

“That sounds like a monster...”

“Indeed, a monster. The ultimate and the supreme.”

Graham nodded in agreement with Stefania’s involuntary exclamation.

“If the enemy this time had been that ‘Hal’, we would have had no choice but to surrender completely... but it wasn’t. We were lucky.”

“And... where is this ‘Hal’ now?”

“Who knows? He should be leading a bunch of vampires, but I have no idea where he is. Come to think of it... the vampires used to call ‘Hal’ this...”

After a pause, Graham continued.

“The True Ancestor.”

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