Swing the sword.
The Aura Blade that cuts through everything in the material world shatters, scattering golden Aura everywhere. However, Arkade, who had copied the stats of twenty Masters, casually unleashed another Aura Blade as if this was nothing.
The whip-like, incredibly long Aura Blade emitted by a presence even more superior than Kail in terms of Aura quantity. But Kail did not respond with the same amount.
His Aura Blade had already evolved multiple times, becoming Superior Blade—a power transcending the material realm to reach the divine realm.
One should never think they can win just by pushing sheer quantity.
‘Is he unaware of that?’
Kail sensed something strange while facing Arkade. An Aura Blade cannot defeat a Superior Blade. An Aura Master cannot defeat him.
Just as humans, no matter how many gather, cannot oppose a god.
Arkade, at best a mere Master, cannot defeat him.
But Arkade didn’t give up and kept attacking Kail relentlessly.
“Huuuuh-!”
The whip-like Aura Blade quickly enveloped Kail from all sides, starting to crush everything. Kail nonchalantly broke through the tightening Aura Blade and charged toward Arkade.
Seeing this, Arkade swiftly retreated backward to maintain distance. Kail immediately chased after him but couldn’t catch up easily.
Just because Kail wields his sword better and controls more evolved Aura doesn’t mean he’s faster.
Arkade’s own abilities, having copied the stats of twenty people, had already reached the physical limits attainable by living beings. Simply running wouldn’t allow Kail to catch up.
“Come chase me. Kail Meyer.”
“……?”
So right now, the reason Kail can barely keep up with Arkade isn’t due to his superior running skills or Aura control granting him speed beyond his physical capabilities.
It’s because Arkade is deliberately controlling his speed. In fact, Kail slightly slowed down his pace, pretending to be exhausted and unable to continue the chase.
In response, Arkade also reduced his speed to maintain the distance between them—ensuring he didn’t get too far away. More specifically, ensuring his Aura Blade could still suppress Kail.
‘This…’
With an animalistic intuition, Kail realized he was being led. Arkade was guiding him—more accurately, stalling for time.
He was trying to keep Kail here, precisely in front of him. Why?
‘…I see.’
Kail, who had been chasing Arkade like mad, suddenly stopped and stared at him. Arkade also halted and looked back at Kail.
Perhaps he’d grown too complacent in peace and made a wrong judgment.
“There’s no need for this.”
Kail’s reason for confronting Arkade was simple: no other Master could defeat the Apostle of Arrogance. If someone else faced Arkade instead of him, they would have all been slaughtered before it was Kail’s turn to fight.
Kail needed to search for the Virgin Saintess, whose location was unknown, while dealing with others.
That was impossible, so he left the task of finding the Virgin Saintess to others and took on Arkade himself. At the time, it seemed like the most reasonable decision. Now, after some time had passed and the special squad’s Masters had found the Virgin Saintess, things were different.
“Akad, was it? I’ll give you a chance.”
“What kind of chance?”
“The chance to cross swords with me.”
Kail spoke as he drew his sword, concealing half of his face. The blue Aura Blade flared up like flames.
“If you keep running, I won’t chase you anymore.”
“In that case, I suppose I’ll have to kill the other Masters.”
“Go ahead. I’ll do the same.”
“…You.”
“Are you just realizing this now?”
Arkade could slaughter all the other Masters… but so could Kail. If they clashed head-on, Kail could wipe out both the Apostles of the Evil God Cult and their followers.
In other words, now that Kail had realized this—things had turned around.
“What will you do? If you run, I’ll go my own way.”
“Do as you please.”
“Eh? Is that okay?”
“Your goal is the Virgin Saintess, right? And her location is a secret, hidden where no one can find her unless they foresee the future. Finding her without that is impossible…”
BOOM-!
Before Arkade could finish speaking, an explosion echoed from afar, smoke billowing into the sky. Arkade, recognizing the location, slightly furrowed his brow.
A reaction so faint that ordinary people wouldn’t notice. Kail, an Aura Master, caught it immediately and dashed toward the site of the explosion.
“Hahaa-!”
“You damn fool-!”
Completely different from before. Now Kail sprinted ahead, with Arkade chasing behind.
* * *
On the high walls of the Holy Kingdom.
From atop these towering walls, safe from enemy spells and arrows alike, the view below was breathtakingly beautiful.
The sight of the dead craving life and countless armies driven mad intertwined in a scene of utter sinfulness.
“This is it.”
The image of anger and madness surrendering themselves. That’s exactly what Agni, the Apostle of Wrath, desired most. She cheered at the spectacle unfolding before her eyes.
However, she couldn’t revel in it forever. She had boldly revealed herself, and the special squad that infiltrated the Holy Kingdom came straight for her.
“And who might you be? Uninvited guests, I see.”
“Wretch, Apostle of the Evil God. It’s time for your punishment.”
“Punishment? Who’s punishing me?”
Agni asked, looking at the Masters who approached her.
“Our Sovereign God shall punish you. But tell me, will our God punish His servant here, or will He punish those who came seeking me?”
“Blasphemer! Our Lord has never referred to your filth as gods!”
“Oh? Then who’s helping us now? Where’s this ‘Sovereign God’ while His home is in ruins? If it were me, I’d tear apart the limbs of whoever caused this mess out of sheer anger. Or maybe─,”
Smiling slyly, Agni pointed to the half-destroyed Holy Kingdom and spoke.
“Have you all been abandoned?”
“You bastard!”
Provoked, the Master unleashed his Aura Blade and charged forward, filled with rage. Agni watched the enraged Master approach with a light smile.
“Getting angry over this? How petty.”
His fury surged even higher. The kingdom’s Master was now consumed by uncontrollable rage, vision blurred as he swung his sword at Agni.
Right after swinging his sword, the kingdom’s Aura Master felt the sensation of cutting something and smirked.
“I’ve captured the Apostle of the Evil God─!”
“Oh dear, what a pity.”
“Wha… What?”
But what he cut wasn’t Agni. Anger blinds one to even parents and children. What he slashed was another Master who had come with him.
Anger clouded his vision, making him unable to distinguish between Agni and his comrade.
“Betrayed your ally? And at such a crucial moment? So you believe in the Evil God too!”
“Gyaaaaaah-!”
“Yes! Exactly! So you’ve realized how useless the Sovereign God is!”
Two Masters neutralized, leaving only one. A single Master was no match for Agni alone. Sure enough, wasn’t that magician trembling while gripping his staff, staring at her?
Fear is an easier emotion to manipulate than anger.
“Bang-.”
“Eeek!”
Magic shot forth from the magician’s staff, naturally aimed at the rage-blinded Aura Master. Still reeling, the Aura Master struck back with his Aura Blade.
“Ahaha, ahahahaha-!”
Having neutralized two Masters in an instant, Agni paused upon seeing the distant smoke, the whip-like Aura Blade, and Kail leisurely heading somewhere.
“What’s that monster doing there? Ugh, I need to escape.”
“Hmm? He’s kind of cute for a monster.”
“…!?”
Startled by the voice behind her, Agni whipped her head around to meet the calm gaze of the witch.
Grand Witch Rizelotte smiled brightly and asked Agni:
“By the way, little one. We’re searching for the Virgin Saintess… Do you happen to know where she is?”
“…Will you let me live if I tell you?”
“That depends on your behavior.”
“I’ll tell you if you promise to spare me.”
“Oh my, trying to negotiate with me?”
Whoosh-! Seeing the tip of her staff ignite in blue flames, Agni quickly leapt off the wall.
