Meanwhile, at the [Checkpoint] on the coast island.
When a pillar of murky emerald light burst out from the ocean vortex known as the Wrath of the Sea God, some were momentarily entranced by the seemingly wondrous sight.
But those who understood what it meant screamed in panic.
“The… the raid has failed!”
“Wait! This is still the [Checkpoint]. There’s no need to overreact.”
“Where is Viscount Volletic?! Where is Viscount Volletic!”
“Explain what has just happened, now!”
Most of the people here were nobles, wealthy enough to afford the exorbitant prices of Slayer Coast Island.
They all quickly grasped the seriousness of the situation and rushed toward where Viscount Volletic was expected to be.
Step, step, step.
“What is the meaning of this!”
“This area is where the princes are staying. We cannot allow you to pass.”
“You—! Are you seriously saying that even after seeing what’s happening?! At the very least, bring out Viscount Volletic now!”
“He’s right! The raid has clearly failed! The raid team is outside the [Checkpoint]. How are we supposed to deal with this…!”
“Do not make a scene. We are the Heavenly Dragon Knights.”
It was both a declaration of their determination to resolve whatever happened and a warning not to incite unnecessary panic.
In the end, it was the nobles who backed down first.
After all, regulations on the coast island had only allowed them to bring minimal escort forces.
In case of emergency, the only ones they could rely on were those sent by the imperial family.
“It’s finally happened…”
Meanwhile, Dexter who was also watching the unfolding scene bit his lip.
Just as the mage had warned, the situation had exploded.
It was clear the Heavenly Church had orchestrated this from the start.
Viscount Volletic… judging by the look on his face, he clearly had no idea this was going to happen.
At present, Viscount Volletic’s face had gone pale, seemingly frozen in panic.
The real problem starts now.
He had hoped this wouldn’t happen… but in truth, this was also a major opportunity.
I just need to act quickly and minimize the casualties.
There wasn’t much he could do in terms of an official response. After all, this entire operation hadn’t gone through any formal preparation. It had been planned solely between that mage Jun and himself.
Still, taking early action and effectively deploying the forces currently available were both critically important.
Fortunately, there was a knight here whom he could trust.
“Sir Aden.”
“Yes, Dexter. So this was the reason you’ve looked so grim lately?”
“That’s correct.”
“Haha…”
At that moment, Aden seemed to understand why Dexter had kept silent until now.
It was probably because he hadn’t had solid evidence.
The one who passed the information along must’ve been that mage.
A man with black hair and silver-blue eyes, Jun came to mind.
They said members of the Heavenly Church have already shown up on the opposite side of the island.
Because of that, the golden-haired, blue-eyed warrior he’d been keeping an eye on, Aiden, had rushed over there as well.
He had barely restrained himself from running off too. Especially upon hearing that the enemy was a level 8 fighter.
“So then, what do you think is going to happen next?”
“Based on the information we received, the raid’s failure will trigger abnormal phenomena at the [Checkpoint].”
Calmly, Dexter presented the situation ahead, backing it up with the materials he had received from Jun.
“So… we’re at an overwhelming disadvantage.”
“That’s correct.”
Aden was an exceptional knight…. of that there was no doubt.
But even someone like him couldn’t protect everyone from the catastrophe that was about to unfold.
The only small relief was—
“What! Is that true?!”
A voice suddenly rang out from the White Whale Mercenary Group, who had been on standby nearby.
Only two of them remained now: Eleanor and Maya.
The one who had just shouted was Eleanor.
“What’s the matter?”
“Ah, apologies. We just received word that… the Heavenly Church members have been taken care of over there.”
“Hmm? But weren’t they facing an opponent said to be level 8?”
Dexter looked at Eleanor with genuine surprise.
In fact, such a reaction was only natural.
The difference between level 5 and level 8 was so vast, it didn’t even need to be explained.
Even with Thaerdin, the captain of the Blackguard, on their side, it was still an astonishing outcome.
“Ah… it seems Captain Thaerdin is currently seriously injured.”
“Haha. Thaerdin. I’m glad to hear that guy survived.”
He had seemed like someone on the verge of a breakthrough.
He was a promising talent, so there had been concern. But now they said he had survived with pride, not death.
“Then he’ll be returning here right away! That’s good news.”
“That seems likely… Huh? What? Hey, hey!! Captain! What’s going on?!”
Eleanor pressed a hand to her ear and shouted into the air. At that moment, Dexter’s expression also stiffened.
It seemed something had gone wrong during the communication.
Rumbleeeeeeeeee――!!!
The problem was, they couldn’t just sit here and wait.
“The sky… the sky!”
“H-Holy…!!”
In the distance, lightning struck, and something began to rise above the sea.
“A d-dragon…?”
“A dragon…?”
A Sea Serpent.
The creature descended upon the ocean, shrouded in storm clouds.
“Aiden… got hit…?”
But Eleanor had no time to worry about that now.
Even in the place where they’d just received good news, the worst had happened.
***
It had happened in the blink of an eye.
A fierce battle against a level 8 fighter.
Just when they thought they had won….it struck.
You’re telling me… I didn’t notice?
A high-energy reaction shot from the direction of the sea, and their response came too late.
The moment Jun realized it, he cast [Shield], but it pierced through both the surrounding [Iron Rampart] and the [Shield] with ease.
Given Jun’s skill in magic, the penetration power was absurd.
And then—
“Aiden!!”
“Guh—Khh…!”
Aiden rolled across the ground.
Fortunately, he hadn’t been too slow to react, so the attack didn’t hit any vital organs.
“Ugh…!”
Unknown magic had invaded his body and was beginning to eat away at him from the inside.
“Captain Thaerdin!”
“I’m on it!”
Despite his serious injuries, Thaerdin forced himself to move and rushed to Aiden, using a healing potion on him.
But once again, a high-energy reaction was felt….this time from the unknown enemy.
“You bastard!”
Sensing something, Thaerdin quickly swung his sword, slashing through the incoming attack.
However, with his body far from being in normal condition, it was impossible for him to fend off the continuous strikes.
In the meantime, Jun had figured out what had been coming at them since earlier.
Water.
A stream of water compressed to the extreme and spinning violently.
“You son of a bitch.”
Seeing Aiden groaning in pain from his injuries sent rage surging straight to Jun’s head.
He began chanting a spell in the direction the high-energy reaction had come from.
He had already lifted the seal, and the magic he gathered was compressed to its absolute limit.
On top of that, the image in his mind that was burning with fury took the shape of lightning.
[Lightning Call]
Was it because the mana was compressed to the limit, or was it the sheer violence of the mental image?
The lightning, infused with Jun’s fury, came crashing down with savage force.
And a response came immediately.
The energy reaction that had been focused on Aiden and Thaerdin now turned toward Jun.
Just what I wanted.
If the enemy was going to fight from a distance, then there was no reason to hesitate.
The opponent’s response was faster than expected, but Jun wasn’t about to go down without a fight.
[Shield]
[Enchantment Type: Support]
[Enchantment Magic: Concentration]
The rotating, high-pressure water stream slammed into the [Shield] once again.
Boooooooom—!
It was much stronger than before. Even if it managed to pierce through, it wouldn’t be able to break through the multiple layers of shields waiting behind it.
“There you are.”
Jun, having pinpointed the enemy’s location, began preparing another spell.
The lightning magic I used earlier didn’t work.
If it had done even minimal damage, such a quick response would have been impossible. In other words, lightning attributes had no effect at all.
Using that information, Jun realized who was behind the attack.
“Derman…”
With [Clairvoyance], he could now see the figure standing calmly on the surface of the sea.
Once a human, but no longer.
Derman pointed his trident directly at Jun.
[Flare]
At the same moment, a streak of crimson flame shot from Jun’s hand toward the enemy, while Derman’s trident crackled with lightning in return.
Booooom!
Two massive energies collided in midair, and after a tense standoff, they exploded, sending shockwaves rippling across the surroundings.
Then, as if the explosion had been a lie, silence fell between them.
Through that brief clash, they had gauged each other’s strength.
Damn, he’s strong.
[Flare] was powerful, sure….but it wasn’t the right match for this opponent.
Water and lightning, used together.
There’s hardly a more explosive combination for amplifying power.
And it seemed the enemy had also realized Jun was no pushover, shifting his attention back to Aiden and Thaerdin.
Even without a clear plan, he must’ve sensed that Jun was struggling just to protect them.
That greedy bastard.
It looked like before the Butcher Monk died, he had managed to send the enemy some kind of signal.
Most likely, an order to kill the imperial bloodline.
Aiden is an imperial member, after all.
In fact, his blood runs purer than Dexter’s or Javier’s. It made sense that the enemy would target him so fiercely.
“……”
Just then, the enemy swung his trident with a skeletal arm encased in a chitinous shell.
Fwooooosh!!
From the ground, a massive water pillar surged upward. It was powerful enough to topple even the tallest trees and it rushed straight toward Aiden and Thaerdin.
Fast!
Being a wielder of water magic, he had no delay even when casting large-scale spells.
Jun instantly responded with magic of his own.
[Ice Break]
A binding spell imbued with the image of eternal permafrost.
For a brief moment, water and ice clashed in a furious struggle….but in the end, it was Jun who was forced back.
“Damn it!”
Jun hadn’t yet recovered from the injuries he sustained during the battle with the Butcher Monk.
More than anything, his overheated mana circuits hadn’t cooled down yet.
And now, he was up against an enemy who could easily be considered a level 6 raid boss, at the very least. So being pushed back was only natural.
Just as Jun tried to forcibly draw out more mana—
Fwoooong—!
“M-Mage! Over here!”
Before he could even turn to the familiar voice, Jun activated [Burning Step] and moved to the rear with Aiden and Thaerdin in tow.
What came into view was a thick, deep blue barrier.
But instead of blocking him, the barrier opened an entrance inward, and Jun quickly stepped inside.
The water pillar chasing after him slammed into the barrier, but it was the water that vanished on contact.
“A-Are you all right, Mage?”
“Wh-What in the world is going on? What is that monster?! And, and…!”
At last, Jun lifted his head and there they were.
“Why are you two here…?”
Javier who was staring at Jun and his companions with a worried expression, and Velles who was babbling in panic and confusion.
It was an odd pair to find together.
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