Chapter 165
A pillar that had stood firm for thousands of years crumbled down.
An event caused by the whim of a single person.
It was precisely because of the Undying Fallen.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
The Empire's Spears, Vuneren and Jollet, who had been climbing the pillar following the Saintess, flailed about thousands of meters in the air.
They tried to endure with their superhuman physical abilities and spear techniques, but it was too high.
Giant boulders poured down from above, and the stone fragments that had already fallen below created a thick cloud of dust.
'I can't die so meaninglessly...!'
A desperate moment where life and death were divided by a single judgment.
"Hah!"
Suddenly, a being appeared to save them.
"A dragon?"
None other than a dragon clad in iron armor all over its body, scattering a gray aura.
It was the Ironclad Dragon—Beati.
Besides the Empire's Spears who survived with dumbfounded expressions, many others were riding on Beati's back.
"……."
"……."
Most of them were Ashen Knights who had fallen from the tower, and there were other races as well.
Dwarves and Elves, as well as Dragonkin and Beastkin. And even magical beasts.
Just as Vuneren and Jollet were rolling their eyes, wondering what to do, and reaching for their spears—
Click-!
The Ashen Knights all raised their weapons and surrounded the Empire's Spears.
"Beati ended up saving guys who aren't even needed."
"It must be because of Callis's order. What a loyal dragon, eh? Hahaha!"
"Tch. What a waste. Should've just left them to die."
Aldu laughed heartily, Serena was expressionless as usual, and Pilo lamented the loss.
"……."
Overwhelmed by their fearsome aura, the Empire's Spears eventually had to turn their heads away.
Actually, they were confident they could fight, but what was important right now wasn't a life-and-death struggle with those guys.
"Anyway, what should we do now?"
As the Empire's Spears fell quiet, Aldu looked up and murmured.
Originally, they intended to wait for Callius.
But the pillar that was the entrance to the [Fairy's Grave] had collapsed...
"He isn't dead, right?"
"No way. If Callis had died, the Ashen Legion wouldn't be fine. They would have disappeared long ago. These guys move by his power, after all."
Callius was probably safe.
However.
"The entrance disappearing is the same thing. For him to reappear..."
"It might take some time."
Then, what stance should they take now?
Should they deal with the Empire's Spears?
But did they have the strength to face them?
They couldn't easily open their mouths.
Unable to shatter the wall, they were weak.
Rather than helping Callius, they felt like they were only holding him back.
"Even the Empire's Spears die the same way if they fall from this height, it seems."
"Even if they've transcended humanity, they don't have wings."
Transcending humanity doesn't mean they can't die.
If they fall, they die; if they starve, they die.
They just live longer and are tougher than ordinary humans.
"Masters aren't much either."
Pilo sneered, but the Empire's Spears chuckled in response.
It was a reaction of mockery.
"Pilo, from what I see. Now is not the time for us to worry about them."
"What? Then?"
"There's someone else who brought down this giant pillar."
"……."
"You must have felt it too."
The demonic aura.
The true demonic energy that clung stickily to the skin in a horrifying instant.
Or what is called the Fallen's turbid energy.
It had shaken the heaven and earth.
Which means.
"There is a demon. And a very powerful one at that."
"After the dragon, it's the demon army."
Is the world really trying to end?
A demon appearing in the Fairy's Grave.
But this could also be an opportunity.
"A demon must be defeated by the Saintess, after all."
As soon as Aldu finished speaking.
Kuuung...
A low vibration echoed.
It was clearly heard despite the giant boulders still collapsing.
A sound distinctly different from falling rocks made the Elf's ears twitch.
"The Saintess and the demon have clashed."
"Oh, as expected."
"Where is that?"
Vuneren of the Empire's Spears, surrounded by the Ashen Knights, asked.
Serena stared at him quietly, then raised her hand and pointed.
A giant stone pillar that was slightly lower but stretched out straight in a line.
It was the top of a stone pillar a little distance away from where the Fairy's Grave had been.
"That far in such a short time?"
A transcendent being who had cast off humanity.
They seemed to be the pinnacle among them.
"Is it a one-on-one fight?"
"I'm not sure about that."
Ablefix was a place with strong natural energy, so sensing aura was difficult.
Should one say their presence was buried or distorted by the auras blooming like a heat haze? Thus, since Serena had only relied on hearing to notice the battle, she didn't know the details.
'Just how strong is the demon, that...'
Does it emit an aura so intense that it ignores even the natural phenomena of Ablefix?
Serena got goosebumps all over her body again at the demonic aura she had felt.
"Take us there! We came to catch the demon!"
"Our duty is to subjugate the demon. It's for the sake of the continent."
"Hmph, Beati is a dragon that doesn't listen to us. Jump off on your own if you want."
Beati currently.
'Catch falling ones.'
Had no interest other than fulfilling her master's order.
Whether the Saintess fought the demon or not wasn't Beati's concern, and thanks to that, she didn't even fly near there.
Because there were still many ant-like guys falling.
"That's..."
Thanks to that, only the Empire's Spears stomped their feet in frustration.
* * *
Kugugugung.
"Ugh!"
"Lady Junis!! Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine, so stop making a fuss."
Pushing away the beastkin who had acted as her proxy, Junis grabbed her head.
She had crashed to the very bottom of Ablefix, but surprisingly, Junis was alive.
Having lost nearly 80% of her original power, she should have been dead, but tenaciously, Junis survived.
This was thanks to the Fairy's Grave.
Everyone thought it would have shattered along with the collapsed stone pillar.
'It's safe.'
The Fairy's Grave was safe.
To be precise, the entrance to the grave was protected by a barrier.
Its location had changed, but the entrance was unharmed due to the barrier, and Junis, knowing that well, used it to survive.
Other than bruises, there was nothing.
Her head was a little dizzy from a concussion, but that wasn't important.
The fact that she was alive.
And the fact that the entrance to the grave was intact played a major role.
"It's rather a good thing."
The appearance of a demon.
Originally, it would have been something she extremely disliked.
Regardless of her disposition, she was also God's proxy and a Saintess who had to look after the world.
For a Saintess, a demon was an existence to be detested and opposed.
However, the Saintess of Lactus.
Ailey's existence made the demon a welcome thing.
"Serves her right. That bitch."
However, the situation wasn't that optimistic.
Junis spat out curses and chewed on her nails.
"Anyway, I bought some time. I wish that whore died to the demon, but that probably won't happen. She won't go down that easily."
The best outcome was the death of the Saintess of Lactus.
But the probability of that was slim.
At the very least, it would be a draw.
"As expected, that guy must have inherited Titeo's will. Otherwise, there's no way a demon would pop up right now. So damn annoying... In the end, all I can do is wait. Annoying."
From the very beginning of the incident.
Junis had foreseen that the Saintess of Lactus would move.
She even received reports.
She was well aware of the information that nearly a thousand knights and three Empire's Spears had moved simultaneously, and calculated accordingly.
Ablefix's terrain was so rugged that it could be described as treacherous.
She expected it would easily take over a month to lead such a large force to the place where the beastkin were stationed.
But Ailey broke that expectation and climbed the cliffs of Ablefix alone.
"She's a crazy bitch."
Because of that, she was facing it alone right now, but soon the Empire's Spears and the army would swarm in.
If that happened, the Saintess would subjugate the demon even if she got a little hurt.
"Because she's a challenger just like me."
She would at least know how to subjugate the Undying Fallen.
It might be a bit difficult in the current situation, but if it's her, she'd probably manage.
And that was the problem.
"Once she subjugates it, the aftermath is the problem."
Because Ailey's gaze would inevitably turn toward her.
If that happened, Junis would definitely die.
She couldn't even run away.
Absolutely not with this wretched body.
"I can't escape from her."
It was the same even when her body was intact.
Rather than a difference in skill, it was a difference in the unique abilities of their weapons.
The Saintess had made the Holy Spear of Lactus one with herself.
And Junis had made her Divine Shield one with herself.
With that difference, Junis was able to attempt resurrection, and Ailey was able to use more efficient enhancement abilities.
Of course, that difference was what led to the current situation.
"Fuck. Ending up as a beggar Shield Saintess."
In the end, the situation wouldn't change.
"U-Um, what should we do?"
"It can't be helped. I bet everything on that bastard."
Thump.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Junis twisted her lips into a smile and broke into a cold sweat.
"I have no choice but to wait."
A small spring situated among the cracks of the collapsed rocks.
The spring water, which still maintained its state despite the tilted angle, was the only thing Junis had bet everything on.
She had nothing else left.
Only waiting.
"Hurry up and come out, you fucking bastard. I'll even give you a deep kiss when you arrive."
Right then.
Kwaaaaang-!!
A massive impact, as if a meteor had fallen, overturned the ground.
The location was near Junis.
It was the crash of the demon fighting the Saintess.
"Agh! Fuck, hurry up and come out, please!"
Fwoosh- Bang!
Crimson flashes poured down endlessly from the sky.
A phenomenon like multiple meteors falling, followed by the sound of explosions.
Bang! Kwang! Rumble Kwang!
Ailey's fierce attack continued.
"Kyaaah!"
"Ugh!"
Just from the aftershock, Junis and the beastkin couldn't control their bodies and were tossed about.
Crashing into trees from the storm, getting hit in the face by rocks, and clinging to grass roots, enduring and enduring, what they saw was—
Thud.
"As expected, she didn't die."
"Would you die... if it were you?"
It was the sight of the Saintess with her pink hair fluttering, and the Undying Fallen crawling on the ground with holes pierced all over its body.
But that was only for a moment.
The Saintess's figure disappeared once again.
Piercing through her blurry afterimage were the black tentacles of the Undying Fallen.
Stab! Stab! Stab!
They pierced the empty air, but their momentum was tremendous.
The Undying Fallen, taking all of the Saintess's attacks, regenerating at ultra-high speed, and counterattacking again, was enough to make even Junis click her tongue.
She, who hadn't shed a single drop of sweat against the Ashen Legion, now had beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
It meant the opponent was that difficult.
'The demon is stronger than expected.'
Demons were existences that should have appeared much later.
Yet appearing in a period where she hadn't been able to accumulate much experience and skill, even the Saintess of Lactus was struggling.
Moreover, even among the demons that appeared early on, the 'Undying Fallen' was the most troublesome enemy.
An opponent that regenerates no matter what attack you deal is the hardest to face.
"Why are you bringing it here, you bitch!"
"Because you mustn't run away."
Taang!
Multiple tentacles twisted into one and struck the ground like a whip.
The earth split in an instant, and the light that had reinforced the Saintess's legs extended to her spear.
"Fifth Form — Dawn of Light."
Stab.
Booooom-!
The spear pierced the Fallen's chest.
However, strangely, it wasn't the chest, but the bastard's back that exploded with a 'Boom-!'
Behind the burst back, a crimson dawn rose and swallowed up the surroundings.
"Persistent."
Flash!
Through the dawn that swallowed the area.
The Undying Fallen's whip slightly grazed the back of the Saintess's hand.
[Getting tired?]
A chilling voice.
A grating voice coming from a mouth that kept flapping despite its head being blown open.
The Saintess of Lactus and the Saintess of Lumitera felt goosebumps all over their bodies simultaneously.
An undying existence.
Facing an existence that had lived for thousands of years and could not die even once.
The Saintess of Lactus deeply realized.
That she could not face it half-heartedly.
"I will kill you now."
The Saintess taking out the holy water from midair.
Because holy water was essential to kill a demon.
However.
Clang-! Crash!
"!!"
The Saintess's reaction was late against the tentacle that extended twice as fast as the ones she had faced so far.
The holy water spear shattered in vain.
'It was conserving its strength on purpose until now?'
The only holy water spear was shattered.
This was the Saintess's negligence.
Who would have thought that a Fallen, who wanted to die, would hide its strength until she brought out the holy water.
[I decline to die by the power of a god. Young Saintess of this generation.]
At the sight of the Fallen grinning, the Saintess's face hardened deeply.