Chapter 35: Crisis? (1)
The battle was one-sided.
No, could that even be called a battle?
It was more like a fight between a child and an adult.
The group of Holy Knights numbered twelve, while the gang had fifty.
However, the flow of the battle went in the opposite direction.
The Holy Knights, with their physical abilities far surpassing that of ordinary people, utterly crushed the gang.
Each time they swung their weapons, two or three gang members fell, and whenever their distinctive cross-shaped guns fired, four or five gang members were left with holes in their bodies.
In contrast, all the gang’s attacks were blocked.
Their crude guns and clubs couldn't even make contact with the Holy Knights before being stopped by a hexagonal shield, preventing any damage.
It was, quite literally, a one-sided onslaught.
After over half of the gang was taken down in their encirclement attempt, they finally realized something was wrong and hurriedly consumed their drugs.
"Everyone take your meds! Shit, these guys aren’t normal!"
One gang member shouted as he downed two doses at once.
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
Moments later, his skin turned red, his height grew, and his muscles swelled to a staggering size.
It reminded Oliver of the emaciated dog he had seen in his fight against the sorcerer.
The gang members, alarmed by his intimidating appearance, quickly followed suit and took their own doses.
“Well… that looks dangerous.”
Oliver thought to himself as he watched the drug-fueled gang members.
Their strength had undoubtedly surged, but it was clear from a glance that the extent of their power-up was so extreme that their bodies were on the verge of falling apart.
Dominic seemed to have intended to use them as disposable tools.
“Poor souls…”
Surprisingly, Joanna, the Holy Knight, showed a hint of sympathy toward the gang members who were attacking her, as if she was aware of this.
What a strange woman she was.
Before the fight, during the fight, even now.
She was never driven by excitement or anger from battle, only by emotions like duty and sadness.
Oliver was curious.
How could she harbor such emotions? And why did she fight despite not wanting to?
She was truly a fascinating woman.
The drugged gang members, half out of their minds, started charging, drooling uncontrollably.
Joanna watched them calmly and placed her mace against her shield.
“Lamp Light.”
With those words, a blinding light that could burn the eyes filled the surroundings.
Even Oliver, who was at a distance, had to close his eyes, so it was no surprise that the drugged gang members were completely incapacitated.
They clutched their eyes in agony, and in that defenseless moment, Joanna and her companions swiftly moved and eliminated them.
“Rest in the embrace of the Father… Mahala.”
She made the sign of the cross with her blood-stained mace as she spoke.
She was truly an odd woman.
Just a moment ago, she had ruthlessly crushed the heads of gang members, and now, she was reciting a prayer of comfort, filled with sorrow and compassion.
It was as if someone had unnaturally tampered with her.
Like a carnivorous animal grazing on grass, like a herbivorous animal tearing into meat.
Oliver’s curiosity only grew stronger.
What was this religion, Pater Church? What exactly was a Holy Knight? And who was this Joanna?
A mountain of questions was piling up in his mind.
It was truly delightful.
After all, the joy of living comes from curiosity and the process of resolving that curiosity.
And then, suddenly, another question arose.
Had the Dominic Family really been so confident with just this level of preparation?
At that moment, the nearby wall shattered, and a dust cloud billowed as a monster in human form burst out.
"Die―――!!!!"
The monster was someone Oliver recognized. Dominic’s subordinate. The attendant who had once grabbed Mari by the throat.
His body had now swollen to nearly four times its original size, and he swung a massive, muscular arm, veins bulging, as he hurled an iron fist toward the Holy Knights.
The hexagonal shield, which had previously withstood everything, was shattered to pieces, and the force sent one of the knights flying into a wall.
Simultaneously, another black magician emerged from the opposite wall and slammed the airborne knight into the ground.
Boom―――――!
"Richard…!!!"
Someone screamed as they saw their comrade smashed into the ground like a burst tomato.
But there was no time to mourn.
Because black magicians and Dominic’s doped-up family members surged from all directions.
Whatever method they had used, the Holy Knights, who had just moments ago dominated the gang, were now on the back foot, struggling.
On top of that, the Anthony Family joined in, casting [Revive] magic on the dead gang members, turning them into zombies.
The only one holding their own was Holy Knight Joanna.
Everyone else was faltering under the surprise attacks, the encirclement, and the chaos.
And then, Dominic appeared.
[Object Hate!!]
[Fury!]
[Burning Life!!]
[Anomalous Build-up!!!]
[Terrible Anger!!]
[Muscle Up!!!]
With countless strengthening spells.
From the vials Dominic held in both hands, life force and emotions surged forth, empowering not only the zombies but also his subordinates with reckless abandon.
The dark red energy engulfed them, transforming both zombies and humans into monstrous beings, far from their original forms.
With their eyes turned white, they all charged at the Holy Knights.
It was a dirty, brutish brawl of numbers and raw strength. The Holy Knights were pushed back one by one, and it seemed none of them would emerge unscathed.
Dominic’s confidence was starting to make sense.
However, it didn’t take long for Oliver to realize this confidence was misplaced.
[Divine Protection]
Joanna cried out, raising her shield and mace together.
With her shout, a powerful protective barrier enveloped her and her comrades.
The soft yellow glow of the shield was beautiful, yet as powerful as the sun, causing Dominic’s maddened subordinates, as well as the zombies, to recoil.
Still, there are always brave ones.
A black magician, gathering energy into his fist, struck with a dark red punch.
Boom――――――!
The sound of the world shaking echoed as the Holy Knight’s barrier trembled.
Though the attacker’s fist melted away, that is.
Seeing this, Dominic seemed to believe he had a chance and chanted another spell.
[Reduced Intelligence] [Berserk]
Once again, emotions poured out from the vials, engulfing allies and zombies alike.
The black magician’s intelligence visibly dropped, and with that, their fear vanished. Their muscles expanded beyond their limits, tearing through their skin.
They seemed like they could rip people apart barehanded.
Dozens of zombies and enhanced humans surrounded the Holy Knights and began their relentless assault.
Even as their own bodies burned and melted, they continued.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
With each consecutive attack, the Holy Knight’s shield shook more and more, eventually starting to crack.
Though the zombies and black magicians were now melted into grotesque forms, at this rate, the Holy Knights wouldn’t last much longer.
It was clearly such a situation, yet for some reason, the Holy Knight remained astonishingly calm.
And soon, the reason became clear.
[Purifier]
The sacred barrier burst into flames with her cry, exploding outward in all directions.
The yellow light was beautiful but devastating, turning zombies and even the enhanced black magicians into ashes in an instant.
It didn’t stop there. The sacred flames also incinerated a large number of Dominic’s and Anthony’s subordinates who were positioned further away.
Even Oliver’s minions, scattered around, were burnt up.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
The overwhelming firepower left Dominic frozen in shock, and in that brief moment, Joanna charged through the holy flames.
With unwavering determination, she swung her mace, crushing Dominic's head.
Smash―――――!
Due to the destruction of Oliver's minions, he couldn't see the detailed events, but there was one thing he knew for certain—Dominic had been defeated.
“Hm…”
Oliver looked down from the building.
The few remaining black magicians who had survived abandoned their dead leader and fled in all directions.
There was no longer any will to resist.
The Holy Knights would likely chase after the fleeing remnants and bring an end to this day’s events.
Oliver now understood why the Apothecary had advised him to flee.
The Holy Knights were the strongest opponents Oliver had ever encountered.
“No… perhaps not the strongest?”
He mumbled, recalling the mysterious entity he had faced during his battle with Joseph. Wasn’t it the old man on horseback?
In any case, Oliver's judgment hadn't been wrong.
As the Apothecary had said, these were opponents he shouldn’t face—at least not for now.
Having achieved his goals, Oliver was preparing to leave when suddenly, a chilling sensation crept up his neck.
[Black Shield]
The moment he erected a black barrier, a powerful bullet struck it.
Crack—the shield fractured. The impact was shocking. The Black Shield, which could block most attacks, had been damaged.
What was even more surprising was how they had discovered him. He had concealed his presence, after all.
At that moment, someone answered his unspoken question.
“The light of God reveals all wicked beings.”
A sudden voice caught his attention. When he turned his head, he saw Joanna, leaping off a building, using it as a stepping stone.
Having surpassed the limits of human abilities, she swung her mace as she spoke.
“Repent for your sins.”
[Black Shield] ×3
Oliver immediately erected three layers of black barriers.
However, as soon as her mace touched them, they shattered with astonishing ease.
The Black Shield, which could withstand bullets and even bombs, had crumbled just like that.
"…!"
Startled, Oliver stepped back and asked,
“How did you do that?”
“The power of God renders such tricks useless.”
“Oh… is that so?”
Oliver glanced at the light emanating from the tip of her mace. Was that the power of the divine?
Joanna pointed her mace directly at Oliver.
"Are you a black magician?"
"Yes."
"By the mercy of God, I offer you a chance. Surrender."
"Surrender?"
“Yes… repent for your sins, and accept your punishment to cleanse them.”
Joanna’s words were sincere. However, Oliver didn’t quite understand what sins he had committed.
He wanted to ask, but realized he had no time.
Joanna’s comrades were rapidly closing in on his location.
“If I refuse, may I ask what happens next?”
“I will pass judgment in God’s name.”
Joanna’s firm declaration made Oliver nod.
“Oh, then… Cling Spider Web.”
A black spider web shot out from Oliver’s hand.
Joanna reacted immediately.
[Holy Light]
The holy light burned away the spider web in midair, but it didn’t matter.
Oliver had only intended to buy himself a little time.
He leaped off the building, casting a targeting spell on a distant building and himself.
Strengthening the spell, Oliver was yanked toward the building as if pulled by an invisible string.
Crash―!
The rapid movement caused Oliver to collide with the building and tumble down.
[Spider Web]
Before hitting the ground, Oliver spread a web below him, using it as a safety net to cushion his fall.
Then, he quickly began to flee again.
Though his entire body throbbed in pain from the collision, Oliver endured it. After all, enduring pain was one of his specialties.
“Damn it!”
As Oliver rounded a corner, he ducked just in time.
One of the Holy Knights had appeared, swinging a sword that nearly decapitated him.
“Damn rat…”
[Hate Bullet]
Oliver fired three shots of hate-infused bullets at the knight.
Remarkably, the knight’s hexagonal shield activated, blocking the bullets. However, the impact still sent the knight flying back.
Oliver took that opportunity to run once more.
“Stop right there!”
The knight rose to his feet and immediately gave chase.
Physically, the Holy Knight was far superior, but Oliver turned around, preparing to attack again.
“You won’t escape!”
The knight raised his shield in anticipation of a frontal assault.
If Oliver used the same attack as before, it wouldn’t work. That was, if it was the same attack.
[Wrath Bullet]
The hate-filled bullet, now charged with explosive wrath, shot out and exploded upon impact.
A scream rang out in response.
“Gahhhhh――!”
Though Oliver had shaken off this pursuer, his decision to attack turned out to be a misstep.
The scattered Holy Knights, noticing the explosion, all began to converge on his location.
With his running ability, Oliver knew he would soon be caught.
He decided to take a gamble.
Covering his entire body with a modified version of Black Shield, called Black Suit, Oliver targeted the tallest building in the vicinity.
Casting another targeting spell on the building, the two spells began pulling him upward at breakneck speed.
It worked.
Just as he reached the top of the building, a loud gunshot rang out.
Bang――――――!
A searing pain shot through Oliver’s chest as he began to fall.
Although the Black Suit had prevented serious injury, the combination of the gunshot and the fall left his entire body aching.
Yet, that was fine. Everything had gone as planned so far.
Looking around briefly, Oliver once again resumed his escape.
The Holy Knights were closing in fast.
As he turned a corner, he found himself facing a dead-end alley. Perfect.
Oliver leaned against the wall, gathering massive amounts of emotion, creating minions infused with [Wrath Bomb] and [Hate Bullet], hiding them in the corners.
He didn’t stop there. He cast black magic on the shadows, preparing [Bind Shadow] and [Shadow Spike], and set up numerous targeting spells, ready to unleash dozens of black darts at a moment’s notice.
This was the maximum offensive power Oliver could muster.
At that moment, he saw the Holy Knights approaching, just a few steps away from triggering his trap. He intended to unleash overwhelming firepower, obliterating their shields in one go, but then, they suddenly halted.
It was as if they were waiting for something.
Oliver realized what it was, but it was too late.
“There is no place left for you to run.”
Joanna appeared, standing atop a building. She radiated a powerful, divine light.
The intense, sacred light instantly nullified all the black magic Oliver had prepared.
For the first time, Oliver, who was always calm no matter the situation, was genuinely shocked.
How on earth was something like that possible?
As the light faded, Joanna’s comrades emerged, surrounding Oliver.
There was no escape route.
For the first time in a long while, the thought of death crossed his mind, and in that moment, he recalled the Filgaret made from Joseph’s emotions.
Ah… if only he had tried it sooner.
"Ah… what a shame."
“There’s no need to feel regret. We would have found you anyway.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“?”
Just then, with a soft click, something dropped between Oliver and Joanna.
“…”
“...What is this?”
Oliver covered his eyes with his arm. At the same time, a flashbang went off.
“Here, Master! Over here!”
A familiar voice called out. Oliver ran toward the sound.
After a short distance, something grabbed his ankle. A hand?
“Get down and crawl! Down here!”
Following the voice’s instructions, Oliver lay flat and crawled into some narrow space. As he descended, he heard a splash and felt a damp sensation.
“Mari…?”
“Yes, it’s me. We’re in the sewers! Are you alright? Follow me!”
And so, Oliver, guided by Mari’s hand, escaped through the sewers.