The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped - Chapter 116
116 – 116. The Black Cardinal (1)
The oppressive weight bore down on me.
A terror akin to facing the abyss.
It was undeniable.
It was stronger than any deity I had faced thus far.
If the countless weapons hovering in the air began to unleash their fire, it would surely unleash a hell of endless suffering. The paladins, with their swords raised, swallowed hard as they gazed upon their “worst enemy.”
“D-Don’t back down!”
“We are the elite of the Holy Kingdom! Let us sacrifice our lives for the great One True God!”
They shouted, trying to suppress their fear.
Struggling to move my stiffened body, I took a step forward.
It was nothing but a futile struggle.
As if to prove him right, only deep fear existed on the faces of the paladins.
Even with nearly 5,000 troops surrounding them, they were swallowed by terror. The numerical superiority was evident, but in the face of overwhelming fear, it was utterly useless.
—I never told you to retreat, did I?
The apostle of war scoffed.
And with a snap of his fingers, he pulled the trigger of slaughter.
────!!
─────────!!!
The firearms erupted in flames.
As the cannons fired their shells, projectiles spewing fierce flames shot straight ahead.
The sight of tens of thousands of incendiary rounds flying through the air seemed to engulf the sky in a furious blaze. The paladins facing him were met with the hellfire of war, having forgotten even a glimmer of hope.
“It’s an enemy attack! Quickly, deploy the shield!”
“What the hell are those flying towards us…! Are they the secret weapons of the heretics?!”
The bullets and shells dominating the battlefield were familiar.
But the projectiles that spat fire and struck their targets with precision were unfamiliar weapons never experienced in any battlefield.
It was only natural they had never seen such things.
The projectiles, with overwhelming destructive power that transcended shells, were weapons from another realm that had not been reached by the technology of this world.
“The, the shield has collapsed!”
“Damn it! What the hell are those… how were they even created?!”
The extensive defensive formation deployed with divine power was torn apart like paper. The paladins swept away by the storm let out death cries as they lost consciousness.
The divinity of the One True God had crumbled.
Even the paladins who had turned the tide by conquering the heretical forces were utterly powerless in the face of the calamity of war.
—I won’t kill you… but you’ll be bedridden for months to come.
As the storm created by overwhelming firepower subsided, the sight of the fallen paladins, tattered like rags, was revealed. The forces of the sanctum swept away by the bombardment were rendered powerless in an instant.
Edanant sighed as he gazed at the only remaining enemy.
From noble mtl dot com
“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call you the destroyer of worlds. Just what are you?”
Querisa, who had witnessed the feast of ruthlessness before her eyes, shouted in a voice close to a scream.
It was unbelievable.
Even having seen it all from beginning to end.
Her beautiful emerald eyes were tinged with wonder.
The projectiles, each exhibiting destructive power rivaling that of the great fire magic, were weapons she had never seen before.
What kind of structure has it been made into?
It was undoubtedly a weapon born from the culmination of vast technological prowess.
A perfected form that could not be reached by divinity or magic.
It was only natural for the Archmage, who was fanatically obsessed with new artifacts, to take an interest.
“Haha! I was curious about what the innocent calamity recorded in the prophecy was… and it turned out to be a real monster!”
—Those Archmage folks.
There was not a trace of fear or dread.
Only an overwhelming thirst for knowledge bordering on madness.
A monster of insatiable curiosity.
That is precisely what the mages of the Archmage Tower are.
The Archmage, revered by all mages, was beyond question. Even after witnessing the annihilation of five thousand paladins in a feast of destruction, Querisa pursued only her quest for knowledge.
“L-lady Saint!”
“That thing is a monster…! You must escape at once!”
Is it still not down? Quite resilient, indeed.
Edanant’s gaze turned toward the paladins, who looked no different from corpses.
—Hmm…
The ordinary paladins did not know the truth.
They were unaware that the White Dragon of the Holy Kingdom was the calamity of famine.
Thus, despite their bodies being gravely injured, the paladins squeezed their voices out, urging Jeblinne to flee. It seemed they thought there was no chance of victory, even if the First Saint of the Holy Kingdom stepped in.
—I will take the beautiful saint of the Holy Kingdom.
“Ugh…?!”
Edanant stretched out his arms and lifted Jeblinne.
The girl with flowing silver hair looked surprised as she gazed at Edanant.
A princess in embrace—.
A most bewildering display of affection.
In the midst of a scene turned to rubble by large-scale bombardment, an unexpected situation unfolded.
Before the eyes of countless onlookers, she found herself in an embarrassing position. Jeblinne, her face flushed from the sudden turn of events, instinctively placed her hand on Edanant’s chest.
“L-lady Saint!”
“You coward! Are you planning to kidnap the Saintess?!”
As the Apostle of the Calamity God lifted the First Saint, the paladins shouted, spitting blood.
It was only natural for the holy knights to react with agitation, as the saint representing the Kingdom of Seonghwang was being kidnapped right before their eyes. Despite suffering fatal wounds that could have brought them down at any moment, the holy knights swung their swords, trying to thwart the Apostle of the Calamity God.
“Ah! At this rate, I will be kidnapped by a cruel and heartless villain! This is truly the essence of a plundered soul! Surely, I will be forced into marriage and bear many adorable children!”
The First Saint lamented in a melodramatic voice, like a tragic heroine.
It was an awkward performance that even third-rate actors would not attempt.
If she activated her divine protection, she could escape from the kidnapper’s grasp immediately. Yet, Jeblinne, while playing the role of a fragile girl, offered no resistance whatsoever.
“Hmm? What on earth is happening…?”
The Master of the Magic Tower, who had spent decades in the workshop, lacked the judgment to comprehend the farce unfolding before him.
Why was the calamity of war trying to kidnap the calamity of famine?
Surely, they were on the same side.
Even as Edanant used an explosion to escape the scene, Querisa did not pursue. The Apostle of the Calamity God, who had boldly kidnapped the saint, passed through the outskirts in the blink of an eye.
* * *
Kwah-!
Kwahkwahkwah!!
With a series of loud explosions, the speed increased. To the eyes of ordinary people, only a blurred afterimage would be captured.
No matter how skilled the Master of the Magic Tower was, it would be difficult to catch up to a speed that even surpassed the speed of sound. However, he could not afford to be careless, so he increased his speed further to escape the sanctuary.
At that moment—.
A sound that tore through the air came flying in.
It was merely a brief noise that echoed for an instant. Yet, as soon as Edanant detected the sound, he forced his body to twist, changing the path he was taking in a straight line.
—Kugh!
With a sharp sound, a blade pierced the air.
If he hadn’t instinctively dodged, his head would have been shattered.
—Hold on tight!
“Yes…!”
After several attempts to brake, he was finally able to stop.
Thick clouds of dust swirled around.
Upon confirming the presence visible beyond, Edanant deployed his firearms into the air, preparing for danger.
“Where are the Hero and the First Saint headed?”
A middle-aged cardinal, dressed neatly in priestly robes, approached.
Was he trying to prove that he was the one who had attempted an ambush by throwing a sword? In his hands, the cardinal held two swords, ominously scattering a foreboding aura.
—…Damn it.
“Yes, Cardinal Nebiacus!”
I had encountered the most troublesome foe.
Edanant, upon witnessing him, furrowed his brow and spat out a curse.
Jebeline’s reaction mirrored Edanant’s. She too trembled as if faced with a ghost, her face drained of color.
“It was a mistake to leave it to the Tower. I almost jeopardized the mission.”
– The dark figure has arrived.
The monster that had judged the powerful villains threatening the continent in the name of the One True God had appeared. Faced with the beast wearing the guise of a benevolent cardinal, Edanant clicked his tongue and prepared to pull the trigger.
It was a fleeting moment.
The outcome of the battle would be decided in an instant.
Ilkeron Nebiacus was both the ruthless hunting dog of the Holy Kingdom and the master who had elevated Maximilian to the ranks of the Seven Heroes.
Thus, he glared at the formidable opponent before him, beads of cold sweat forming on his brow.
– Haah… Today’s luck is truly fierce. To keep running into troublesome old men like this.
The opponent was a monster who had honed his swordsmanship to the extreme.
There was no chance of victory in close combat.
To prevent his head from being severed in an instant, he had to create as much distance as possible.
“Indeed, it was Cardinal Nebiacus who took the lead. Only he could bring such a tragedy to a sanctuary filled with countless faithful.”
“It is a decision for the continuation of the world, Your Holiness. I ask for your forgiveness.”
Decisions for the greater good always required sacrifice.
This time would be no different.
Ilkeron replied in a flat voice as he gazed at the arch-enemies of the One True God.