### Chapter Twenty-Two: Battle of the Abyss (Four)
On a secluded narrow path, disheveled villagers trudged along with gloomy expressions, hustling in a hurry.
The outline of their long-cherished village was faintly visible behind them.
That was their homeland, their lifeblood; if given a choice, no one wanted to leave. Yet, staring at the black sun—the symbol of d*ath—and hearing the occasional muffled roar from the village, no one had the courage to look back.
In the middle of the crowd, Aili wore a relentless frown.
“Barri…” the girl softly called out for her younger brother, clearly wanting to say something but at a loss for how to begin.
“…What is it?”
The boy named Barri was equally glum.
“Do you think Little Xi will come back for us?”
“…She definitely will. Big Sister, you saw it too, right? Xi is a Pope Knight, after all… Do you know what that means?”
“…I suppose it means she’s a really strong knight, right?”
“Strong? More than just strong! A Pope Knight sounds like a fancy title, but it’s not just a cool nickname; it’s a title given by The Holy Church to true heroes! Don’t confuse a Pope Knight with just a regular Church Knight!”
“So, you mean… Little Xi is really powerful, that tiny one? More powerful than Dad?”
“Dad can’t hold a candle to a Pope Knight, though he is pretty strong…” Barri scratched his head in a frustrated manner, trying to think how to explain, “Oh right! Sword Saint Ryan knows all about these things!”
“Yeah, yeah! Twenty years ago, he single-handedly took down the demon Hippodora and saved humanity from disaster! Who doesn’t know that? Don’t treat me like an idiot.”
“What if I told you he’s a member of the Pope Knights?”
Aili’s eyes widened in disbelief, her face a canvas of shock.
“You mean…”
“Oh, and Queen Elizabeth, your biggest idol?”
“You’re not about to tell me…”
“She’s also a Pope Knight~!”
Barri puffed out his chest, reveling in the knowledge, seemingly forgetting about the stressful situation they were in.
“So you see, Pope Knights aren’t just any knights; they’re heroic titles bestowed by The Holy Church.”
“Then, what about the fiery Lapria…” Aili was trembling with excitement now.
“Spot on!”
“So, Little Xi…”
“What are you two chatting about?” questioned Ailin from up ahead, curious.
“About the Pope Knights,” Barri shrugged.
“Oh, those legendary heroes?”
“Ailin! You know them too?”
“…Isn’t it common knowledge?”
“Bwahahaha, Big Sis is such a dummy, of course she wouldn’t know!”
Barri didn’t hold back in teasing his sister.
“…”
As he noticed his fiancée’s cheeks flush red, Ailin realized he had misspoken and promptly decided to zip it.
“So, since Little Xi is a Pope Knight, she must be just as awesome! Don’t worry, Big Sis… She’ll be fine.”
The last sentence slipped out more like a reassurance to himself.
“But that monster looks pretty tough…”
Just then, the ground suddenly shook lightly beneath their feet.
A blinding white light erupted from the distance, bleaching the faces of the crowd.
“Boom—”
A muffled thud echoed, sending villagers into a frenzy.
“…Hey, look! What is that?”
“Looks like that black sun…”
“That sun, did it just… explode?”
“Seems like it…”
“So, does that mean Little Xi won?”
As the white light dissipated, the black sun in the sky had vanished.
“Barri! It’s Little Xi! She must have won!” Aili exclaimed, excitedly grabbing Barri’s hand and bouncing up and down.
Barri shared her joy but, being the boy he was, managed to stay considerably calmer than Aili.
“Hold on a sec, Aili, wait a minute…”
“She definitely won! The monster is gone! Let’s hurry back!”
Aili was about to dash back when Barri quickly grabbed her.
“Big Sis! Just wait a sec! I know you’re anxious, I am too, but what if the battle’s still going on? We’d just be a nuisance, you know?”
Barri bit his lip, drawing bl**d.
Over there, fighting that monster, was the girl he had feelings for, and yet he felt utterly helpless.
How could he just sit back? Why didn’t he want to run over?
“…Maybe it’s just temporarily taken care of, and we don’t know the current situation in the village. Ailin is right, it’s better to be cautious. Trust in the power of the Pope Knight.”
Ailin’s thoughts were more mature, guided by the instincts of a future hunter.
“Ailin! What are you talking about!” Aili’s eyes narrowed angrily, emotions boiling over as she pointed at Ailin with red-rimmed eyes, “What Pope Knight! What great hero! I don’t care about any of that!! Don’t you know that it’s my sister out there risking her life to protect everyone!!”
“I know…”
“With all that noise, she must be hurt! She’s probably bleeding a lot! She must be in pain, maybe she’s already lying somewhere unable to move… No! I have to go check on her.”
Aili wrenched her hand away from Barri and bolted toward the village.
“Aili!!” Barri ran after her.
Ailin glanced at the villagers who hesitated in place.
They all heard Aili’s words, worn faces showing doubt but no one dared to act.
“…Tch.”
With a gritted jaw, Ailin stepped forward, following after the pair.
…………
“ROAR—!!!”
With the roar of a tsunami, every step the Dragon took caused the ground to tremble.
That blow was devastating; a white beam carved a deep trench in the ground, steaming away as it released waves of heat felt from meters away.
The monster had long since disappeared.
“Big White!! It’s me, over here… cough cough.”
As I spoke, bl**d spurted from my mouth, pain stabbing at my chest like needles, breathing became a challenge.
“Grrr…”
Big White heard my voice and lumbered over with heavy steps.
I struggled to roll over, lying on my back in a starfish shape.
Thank goodness, it’s finally over.
Aili and the others are safe at last.
“Haha… cough cough.”
So tired.
Big White gently scooped me up in its claw.
“Ah—Big White, gentle, please… it hurts.”
Every movement sent jolts of pain through my body; I had no idea where all the wounds were, but it felt like every part of me ached.
This time, the internal injuries were worse. The first fall had been cushioned by the black smoke, only leaving me with a sore waist. But the second time, I had been so focused on swinging wildly that I nearly forgot about using the black smoke for protection. At the last moment, I remembered, but the density wasn’t enough, and I ended up crashing down, dazed and confused, still stuck on the ground.
If it weren’t for Big White showing up in the nick of time, I’d probably be adding to the village’s decor.
Still lacking in experience, I got too caught up in the heat of battle.
In such high-stakes situations, recklessness is a d*ath wish! I dragged that thing down from the air, only for it to end up with no injuries while I took the fall for it.
At that moment, I couldn’t help but feel intense disdain for that cheeky guy.
Where the heck were you when I needed you? And when I don’t, you pop up like some ghost, scaring me. Isn’t slaying monsters your gig?
Honestly… such brotherly behavior.
Knightly sc*m.
I smirked.
Big White carefully cradled me in its palm, lowering its massive head to stare at me.
“…What are you looking at?”
“Grrr…”
“Set me down, on your shoulder, let me rest.”
I felt kind of drowsy… wait, should I be seeing a doctor right now?
After all, with my delicate little body, I just took two dives from over a hundred meters…
No, I think I need to be rescued.
“Big White, you…”
Before I could finish my sentence, a violent shaking threw me around. Big White reacted quickly, turning to shield me with its body.
In the next instant, clouds of black smoke rolled in like a tidal wave.
“ROAR—!!!”
This time, Big White’s roar was drenched in pain.
“Big White!” I shouted in alarm.
What’s happening? That thing took a direct hit and hasn’t died yet!!
“Big White, let me down!”
I was held tight in Big White’s claws, unable to see, and I didn’t dare activate the black smoke, fearing it would hurt Big White. I was a bundle of nerves.
But Big White didn’t listen, perhaps it simply didn’t understand me.
“‘Abyss Language’ Slicing.”
The moment I heard that voice, I panicked.
I strained to wriggle free from Big White’s grip, tumbling to the ground and letting out a muffled groan of pain.
I looked up to see a canopy of black mist blocking out the sky. Big White was wrapped up tightly; its white fur was wilting as if scorched by fire.
It spun around in fury, baring its fearsome jaws.
“Buzz… Buzz… Buzz…”
The air was suddenly filled with countless white specks of light, swallowed by Big White’s mouth, forming a sphere of light bigger than its head.
“BOOM—!!”
A bright beam shot forth again, ripping through the black smoke, revealing the figure of the monster.
As soon as I caught sight of it, I seized the icy pillar, leaping into the air, and propelled by black flames, I zipped past.
The monster’s armor had become tattered and torn, thick, black goo oozing from the cracks, looking seriously injured. However, it remained agile, its lower tentacles twisting in the air to dodge Big White’s attack while its withered right hand struck back.
No way!!!
I thrust my right hand forward, unleashing a blast of frost that redirected the black flames straight for the monster.
“Boom—!!!”
The violent explosion sent it crashing to the ground, allowing me to land firmly atop it.
With my hands pushed forward, palms nearing its monstrous face.
d*e already.
“Bang bang bang bang—!!!”
Ice pillars exploded in a fan-like pattern before me, completely encasing the creature in an icy prison.
But I wasn’t done yet!!
Forcing aside the agony coursing through my body, I took a deep breath.
Black flames erupted from my palms.
“BOOM—!!!”
“Crack crack crack crack…”
The ice pillars shattered under the onslaught of black flames, sending a dazzling sprawl of crystal dust that cast the surroundings in breathtaking beauty.
