Chapter 470: That's the Extent of Your Capabilities (2)
Parniel turned her head to look at Maurice and asked,
"Who are you?"
Maurice, dwarfed by Parniel's imposing presence, found himself overwhelmed. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that he was cowed by the sheer power that had effortlessly obliterated a superhuman.
"I... I am Marquis Maurice McQuarrie, Supreme Commander of the Ritania Kingdom's army," Maurice stammered.
Parniel's eyes widened slightly. The man's rank was higher than she had anticipated.
Although the Holy Maiden transcended worldly status, she still understood the importance of propriety.
Lowering her head slightly, Parniel spoke,
"This is not a place where one such as you should be. Let us deal with that wicked one first, then continue our discussion."
"Ah, understood," Maurice replied.
Crash!
Viscountis, who had been thrown across the ground, sprang up and roared,
"Kraaaah! Who the hell are you?!"
Already heavily fatigued, the devastating blow he had suffered had shattered his arms and churned his insides to the point of vomiting blood. Moreover, the holy energy that had infiltrated his body had drained a significant amount of his vitality before he could expel it.
A dark aura roiled around him, wrapping his wounds like a flickering flame.
‘Damn it, what is this? Did the Four Major Temples send reinforcements?’
All the priests in the Kingdom’s army had been slain by the Delfine Forces. With their lack of combat prowess, they hadn’t even been able to flee properly.
But this woman was different. Unlike those priests, she exuded combat experience no, calling her a walking weapon would be more fitting.
‘Did she say her name is Parniel? No way... Parniel!’
Viscountis’s body shuddered with realization. A towering, immensely powerful woman bearing the name Parniel was not a common occurrence.
‘The Holy Maiden of War!’
She was the very Holy Maiden of the Moriana Order who had been a thorn in their side for years.
In troubled times, people hailed countless so-called holy figures, mere products of admiration and rumor.
But Parniel was different. She was a genuine Holy Maiden recognized by every religious order.
"Ha... ha-ha... so the wench I've been longing to kill has walked right into my grasp."
From the perspective of the Church of Salvation, the Holy Maiden of War was an intolerable enemy. Backed by her Order's might, she was a difficult foe to face head-on.
To make matters worse, she was perpetually surrounded by Temple Knights and priests, making assassination attempts unthinkable.
But now, she stood alone. Although her companions would likely arrive soon, killing her before they did was his priority.
"I hear your divine power makes you incredibly strong. But even that won't be enough to defeat me."
Despite his own exhaustion, Viscountis could not let this opportunity slip away.
He knew she was rumored to possess combat strength rivaling a top-tier knight and, with priestly aid, could even reach superhuman levels.
That’s why he had to kill her now, while she was alone.
Boom!
Viscountis surged forward, sprouting black, wing-like appendages and clawed hands brimming with energy.
He held nothing back, determined to end Parniel's life.
‘Heh... finally, I'll achieve something monumental!’
As he closed the gap to Parniel in an instant, a grin of elation spread across his face.
To slay the Holy Maiden, the proxy of the goddess herself such an act would surely grant him eternal bliss in paradise.
"Die!"
Crash!
Viscountis's claw, infused with tremendous power, tore through the air as it descended.
Parniel, her lips curling slightly, raised an arm. Her muscular limb emitted a brilliant white glow.
"You fool! Do you think you can block this bare-handed?!"
Viscountis was confident that her arm would be severed. After all, he had poured immense energy into this strike.
Boom!
"...Huh?"
His devastating blow failed to cleave her arm. Instead, the force rebounded as if he had struck an impenetrable shield.
Viscountis couldn't comprehend it.
‘She blocked a superhuman attack... with her bare body?’
It wasn’t as though she was completely unscathed. A faint red line marked her arm a shallow cut, barely worth noting.
"Is that it?"
Viscountis lifted his head, dazed. Overhead, a mace larger than a person eclipsed the sun.
"W-Wait!"
Smash!
Crunch!
Viscountis's face was smashed as he was sent flying once more. The impacted side of his head was grotesquely disfigured, and his eye burst, narrowing his vision.
"Arghhh!"
As holy energy invaded his body, a wave of excruciating pain washed over him. His dark aura struggled to expel it, but the divine power clung stubbornly.
More holy energy than before was now ravaging his insides.
"You... you wench... you dare...!"
Viscountis clutched his shattered face, howling in agony. The holy energy, diametrically opposed to his essence, inflicted unbearable pain on him.
He couldn’t accept it. That someone as powerful as he was could be beaten so soundly.
Even though his body was far from its peak and exhaustion weighed heavily on him, the humiliation was unbearable.
"I’ll kill you!"
Viscountis soared high into the air. As his wings spread wide and he mustered every ounce of strength, the black aura around him began to surge wildly.
The prolonged battles over the past days had already drained him considerably. Using this technique would deplete his reserves completely.
He knew he wouldn’t be able to move for some time afterward, but he deemed it a worthwhile sacrifice. Here and now, the Holy Maiden and Maurice had to die.
Hummmmmmmm...
The last remaining eye of Viscountis turned a deep shade of violet. From his entire being emanated a force so intense that the very air around him seemed to distort.
This technique required more power than he had left, so he drew on his life force to fuel it.
Such was his hatred and determination to destroy those before him.
Whooosh!
From Viscountis's body erupted thousands of tendrils of dark energy, lashing out in all directions.
"Heh... hehahaha! Try to block this if you can!"
If the Holy Maiden survived, so be it. But everyone else around her would perish.
Parniel watched the dark energy engulf the sky and muttered,
"The cursed light, the wail of the abyss."
In past wars, this technique was used by priests of the Church of Salvation, earning its infamous name.
As she gazed upon the sky filled with black radiance, Parniel began to chant.
"Behold, I shall protect this land with grace. Now, I shall extend the holy will may profane hands vanish into darkness, and faith endure eternally."
Flash!
From Parniel's body erupted a radiant light.
The light spread like a massive protective barrier, forming an expansive sanctuary of brilliance.
Onlookers widened their eyes in awe at the miraculous display of power.
The dark torrent collided with the holy domain.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The dark energy relentlessly pounded against the light-filled sanctuary.
The force was so overwhelming that the earth quaked and thunderous roars echoed without end.
Though the onslaught lasted mere moments, it felt like an eternity to those who witnessed it. Such was the terror and power of Viscountis’s ultimate technique.
Yet, despite appearing as though it might shatter, the sanctuary of light held firm.
"W-What... what is this...?"
Viscountis's face twisted in disbelief. He had poured everything into this attack, even draining his life force.
The assault was beyond the capabilities of a top-tier knight to withstand.
And yet, the Holy Maiden had stood alone and endured it.
He had underestimated her, dismissing her as a mere figurehead, someone protected only by her divine power.
But he had been gravely mistaken.
The Holy Maiden herself was a monster.
"Tch."
Parniel spat out the blood pooling in her mouth.
The attack, fueled by the full might of a high priest, had indeed packed a punch. It was enough to shake her insides and make her cough up blood.
But that was all. Such an attack could not deliver a decisive blow.
Thud!
Gripping her mace tightly, Parniel strode forward once more, her muscles rippling with raw power.
"Ugh... ugh..."
Viscountis, having drained all his energy, had already fallen back to the ground. He no longer had the strength to maintain his wings or claws.
Having expended even his life force, he was now weaker than an average knight.
"D-Damn it!"
He immediately turned to flee, but Parniel was relentless.
In an instant, she closed the distance and swung her mace toward his back.
Crash!
"Arghhh!"
Viscountis's back bent unnaturally, his spine crushed as he collapsed to the ground.
Despite the grievous injury, he clung to life befitting a priest of the Church of Salvation.
With a look of disgust, as if staring at a cockroach, Parniel raised her mace high.
"Your corruption ends here. The holy light shall consume you."
Drawing a cross with her free hand, Parniel brought the mace down mercilessly.
Smash!
"Guaargh!"
The mace struck Viscountis’s back again, forcing blood from his mouth. His body was now pressed flat against the ground.
But Parniel did not stop.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Like crushing a pest, she swung her mace over and over without pause.
When she finally stopped, Viscountis’s corpse had been reduced to a pulpy mess, resembling nothing more than a battered heap of flesh.
"Hah... Goddess, I’ve sent another one to you today."
"..."
The onlookers, including Maurice and the remnants of his defeated forces, were at a loss for words.
Even in their fatigued state, witnessing an overwhelming defeat of a superhuman was beyond their imagination. A monstrous figure stood before them, one they could never have envisioned.
What they couldn’t know was that this was the power of someone who would later be hailed as one of the Continent’s Seven Strongest.
It wasn’t just them who were astonished.
“W-Who are you?”
The Viscountis’ companions, who had just arrived, dared not approach any closer, observing from a distance.
Fear was etched onto their faces. Their greatest weapon, the superhuman, had been beaten to death before their eyes naturally, terror had overtaken them.
Parniel raised her head with a haughty expression and spoke.
“I do not wish to shed more blood today. Withdraw.”
Even though those before her had allied with the Salvation Church, she aimed to avoid killing them. Her belief was that they could be made to repent through punishment.
Truthfully, she only wanted to eliminate the priests of the Salvation Church.
That didn’t mean she would let them off without condition.
“If you attack, I will send every one of you here to the Goddess.”
“Ugh, ugh…”
The commander of the pursuing forces was at a loss. They needed to capture Maurice, but the situation had turned completely against them.
Intimidated by Parniel, the commander ultimately retreated with his forces.
Once the situation settled, Parniel approached Maurice.
“I apologize for the delayed introduction amidst such urgency. I am Parniel, a servant of the Goddess of War.”
“Th-Thank you... I-I will surely repay this favor when I return.”
“It’s fine. Fighting against the Salvation Church is my mission.”
“Ah, is that so? That is comforting news indeed.”
Maurice stammered awkwardly. He wasn’t sure how to deal with this mysterious person who had appeared so suddenly.
However, having seen her strike down the priests of the Salvation Church, it was clear she was an enemy of their enemies.
“W-Where are you from?”
“I come from the Holy Nation of Phainos.”
The Holy Nation of Phainos operates differently from other kingdoms. It houses the headquarters of the Four Major Temples, and the Grand Patriarchs of each temple reside there, taking turns governing the nation.
Although not militarily strong, its immense religious influence ensured that no kingdom dared to provoke it.
Maurice was taken aback.
“Isn’t the Holy Nation very far from here? What brings you all the way to the Kingdom of Ritania?”
“I came because I wanted to.”
“W-What?”
Parniel tilted her head slightly, pondering how to explain, then continued.
“I heard that the Kingdom of Ritania was fighting the Salvation Church most fiercely. Upon hearing that, I was compelled to come and join the fight. I believe it must be the guidance of the Goddess.”
“Ah... I see…”
A priest’s life revolves around faith and divine will. To them, everything can be attributed to the word of God. It wasn’t something one could argue against.
Maurice, being the type to appreciate such conviction, quickly understood.
“Haha, the old crone told me I’d meet a benefactor, and it must be you…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Hubert jabbed him in the side.
Parniel’s expression had turned icy. Mentioning a fortune-telling crone in front of a priest from one of the Four Major Temples was practically an invitation to a fight.
Feeling a sudden threat to his life, Maurice cleared his throat.
“Ahem. It was a joke, just a joke.”
“It was a poor joke. I almost considered it grounds for heresy.”
“Yes, of course…”
While the kingdom’s priests might overlook Maurice’s words out of respect for his authority, Parniel possessed both the power and the right to ignore such considerations.
Feeling embarrassed, Maurice cleared his throat a few more times before speaking again.
“If you don’t have a place to stay, please accompany us. Since we’re fighting the same enemy, it’s better to join forces, don’t you agree?”
“Thank you. Then I shall impose on you for the time being.”
“Oh, no, not at all. It is we who are indebted to you.”
Maurice collected himself and gave a bright smile. The high-ranking priests of the Salvation Church had made the war incredibly grueling for them.
Now, with a new figure of superhuman prowess offering her assistance, it was only natural to feel a surge of relief.
“Come, let us go.”
“Wait a moment. I have companions.”
“Companions?”
Maurice looked confused, but he waited. Soon enough, a group of people came running from the direction Parniel had arrived.
A hundred individuals in priestly robes and gleaming white armor, all serving under Parniel.
The one at the front shouted loudly.
“Holy Maiden! Why would you act so recklessly on your own?”
Maurice’s eyes widened at the sound.
“A Holy Maiden? Are you truly saying you’re the Holy Maiden?”
Parniel nodded casually, as if it were no big deal.
“Yes, I am the Holy Maiden chosen by the Goddess of War.”
“……”
The image one typically associated with a Holy Maiden was far removed from the woman before him. Yet, given that she claimed to have been chosen by the Goddess of War, it did seem oddly fitting.
Regardless, a Holy Maiden was someone to be revered even more than a transcendent being. The title carried immense weight and significance.
Such was the nature of a Holy Maiden.
Maurice lowered his head deeply once again. With her status as a Holy Maiden, the idea of fighting alongside her seemed almost laughable.
“Once again, I thank you for assisting the Kingdom of Ritania.”
“It’s nothing. This, too, is the Goddess’s guidance.”
Parniel inclined her head slightly in response. Such gestures of reverence were nothing new to her.
And so, Maurice and the remnants of his forces, now joined by the Holy Maiden, retreated with dignity.
* * *
“Inquisitor Viscountis is dead?”
“Yes.”
“Huh…”
Count Fograin, having just received the report from his pursuing forces, looked utterly dumbfounded.
Though the inquisitor had been pushed hard over the past few days, he was still a transcendent. Yet, he had been struck down by someone who intervened during the pursuit of the remnants.
“Who could possibly have done this?”
“We’re not sure. It was just… a remarkably large woman. Judging by her wearing the robes of the Moriana Order, we suspect she might be a combat priestess.”
“A combat priestess killed a transcendent? Which order in this kingdom could possibly have such a priestess?”
Count Fograin bellowed in frustration. If such a priestess existed, rumors would have long since spread. At the very least, the information networks of the ducal families would have caught wind of it.
The Salvation Church had no reason to broadly announce the existence of the War Maiden they were fighting against. That was why the information hadn’t reached Count Fograin.
Though he raged and fumed for a while, he had no means of uncovering the situation, which only drove him to the brink of madness.
What infuriated him even more was that, despite having the Kingdom’s Supreme Commander within his grasp, he had let him slip away.
“Haa…”
Letting out a long sigh, he called for his strategists.
“We’ll rest for two days and then march on the capital. If we can crush the lords’ armies a few more times, no force will remain to stop us.”
“Isn’t two days too short? The soldiers are deeply fatigued.”
The battles to secure this territory had been grueling. A mere two days’ rest wouldn’t suffice for proper recovery.
Even so, Count Fograin shook his head at his strategists’ concerns.
“There are still allied forces that haven’t arrived. Once they do, things will only grow more complicated. We’ve lost the inquisitor, so it’s better to act quickly and sweep away the remaining forces.”
Though it seemed the other side had gained a transcendent figure, it was of little consequence.
The opposing forces were meager. Even if the local lords hastily rallied their troops, they wouldn’t muster more than 10,000 soldiers.
Though Count Fograin’s forces had suffered heavy losses, they still had 30,000 elite troops remaining. The mages were unscathed as well.
With such strength, they could easily take down a single transcendent.
“The Northern Army will be crushed by the Second Legion. Even if the Northern Army wins, they won’t be able to move quickly enough to stop us.”
Count Fograin confidently asserted this, and his strategists nodded in agreement.
But there was one crucial fact they were unaware of.
As they rested and regrouped, a crow circled ceaselessly in the skies above.
― “Master, it looks like their forces are preparing to move.”
The enemy began their march just as Ghislain received the news and set out.
Receiving the information through Dark, Ghislain unfurled a map while atop his horse.
“Thankfully, we’ll make it in time.”
A force of 30,000 could only move so quickly, especially after days of exhausting battle with little time to recover.
In contrast, the Fenris Mobile Corps boasted the kingdom’s greatest mobility. Their morale and stamina were undiminished.
Estimating the relative speeds of both sides, Ghislain marked a spot on the map with his finger.
“We’ll intercept them here.”
It seemed the ducal forces still hadn’t grasped the true capabilities of the Fenris Army. They were too fixated on the fact that Ghislain himself was a transcendent.
Perhaps they assumed that the bloated Northern Army would move as a single unit. Or maybe they thought the Northern Army had been wiped out during his absence.
“That's the extent of their tactical capabilities”
Ghislain smiled coldly.
This time, he intended to make it unmistakably clear just what kind of existence he was.