Chapter 150
Chapter 150
"Calm down, Simon! Don't let her provocations sway you!"
Simon's ears twitched as he heard Kajann shouting.
Of course he wouldnt succumb to provocation. Simon took a few deep breaths before turning his gaze toward the high ceiling.
Numerous black crosses hung in the air above him.
Simon remembered that night when he first met Francesca; when he first met the priest. He was powerless. All he could do was run and entrust the fighting to Pier.
He wondered how much he had grown since then.
Rustle.
As Simon bent his knees, ready to charge, Francesca drew a vertical line through the air. The jet-black crosses fell from the ceiling all at once.
Stab!
Stab!
The crosses drove into the floor, ripping through the carpet.
"By the way, aren't you guys fighting too recklessly?"
As Simon and Kajann dodged the falling cross, Francesca pressed a button on the panel behind her.
Mana screens appeared around her. The entire Kizen campus could be seen from a glance.
"Since you've come all this way, I'll show you guys something interesting."
"What are you planning to do?!!"
She put her middle finger and thumb together. Kajann and Simon flinched and readied themselves for whatever was about to come. She looked at her watch casually.
"The time has come anyway. Well then Boom!"
She snapped her fingers. Her signal activated the desolators ignition triggers.
But of course
'!'
Nothing happened.
In that brief moment of panic, Simon rushed in and swung his greatsword.
Woooooosh!
The moment she jumped up to dodge it, Kajannwho jumped even higher than herbrought his fists together and swung them straight down like driving in a nail.
Thuuuud!
A jet-black shield blocked Kajann's fist. Using the brief pause, Francesca activated magic circles on each side, spewing out a poisonous smoke which hit Kajann directly.
"Kajann!"
"I installed the desolators before class, but you removed them all?"
A dreary smile worked its way onto her face as she retreated back from the two.
"That's frightening. Its almost like the future has been revealed."
Simon remained silent and tightly gripped his greatsword.
Then, Kajann casually walked out of the poisonous smoke cloud, stretching his neck.
'Mm So poison won't work after all, huh? Such a strange body.'
The paralysis smoke had spread all over, yet even Simon seemed fine.
She grinned. Crushing them head-on would be a satisfying way to end the last hopes of Kizen.
Whirrrrrrrr!
More crosses appeared on the ceiling.
[Boy! Be careful!]
"Unfortunately, no one's coming. Even Nefthis can't pierce my barrier."
What she had installed was a divine barrier. A priest's barrier.
It was specialized in defense, superior to a necromancer's barrier in strength and safety. Plus, because it was created with divinity, it resisted jet-black.
If a priest and necromancer of equal skill were to fight, a priest who could use barriers was at a severe advantage.
"Struggle before the power of the Goddess, dogs of Nefthis."
Flutter!
Kajann threw off his partially-melted school uniform after its time in the acidic poison. Bulky muscles tattooed with scars revealed their majesty from beneath.
"Simon. This is the last battle for the entire priest issue."
He offered his fist to Simon, who smiled and bumped it.
This issue was his first time working with Kajann.
"Yeah, let's go."
After fistbumping, the two moved so fast they left afterimages, and the black crosses that came down after them struck only floor. The two moved around the command and control room with winding paths as they weaved around the falling crosses.
'Jet-Black Eruption!'
Drops of jet-black sweated from Simon's body. His physical ability increased dramatically, and it took less effort to avoid the crosses pouring down like heavy rain.
With Francesca in the center, Kajann approached from the left and Simon from the right.
* * *
* * *
Poooow!
It was Kajann who made the first move. He leaped dozens of meters into the air and kicked.
Thunk!
Of course, Francesca unfolded her jet-black shield to block it. At the same time, Simon rushed behind her like a flash and swung his greatsword.
Slaaaaaaash!
She ducked down and avoided it. In the meantime, Kajann rushed in with a shout.
The punch he threw with the force of a charging boar was intercepted by a chop to the wrist. Kajann immediately pulled his fist back before unleashing blow upon blow.
Francesca smirked before countering with her combat dark magic prowess.
Pat. Tatap. Thud. Thunk. Pow. Psh.
The flurry of fists from both sides was so fast that it formed a single blur.
Kajann ducked and weaved in all directions, unleashing unpredictable attacks, while Francesca knocked away each blow with a chop. Parries were her forte.
Thud!
Francesca's leg hit Kajann hard in the knee, knocking him off balance.
As she tried to stab through Kajann's chest and into his heart with her long nails
Swiiiiiiiish!
A slash fell toward Francesca's head. She clicked her tongue and stepped back.
"Haaaaaaaah!"
Swish! Swish!
Unlike Kajanns punches, Simons swordsmanship carried great weight in each blow. They couldnt be as easily parried. Sword slashes savagely sliced through the air.
Francesca continued to dodge with perfectly small movements, then formed a jet-black dagger. Using it, she redirected the slashes to fall just beside her.
Ting!
Simon was taken aback by the vibration he felt through his hands from the brief striking of metal against metal.
'Is she really an assistant teacher for Poisonous Alchemy? Her combat dark magic is insane!'
No, it wasnt quite combat dark magic. It was the martial art of priests, specialized in defense and counters.
Claaaang!
After redirecting Simon's greatsword, Francesca ducked in and thrust her blade toward Simon's throat.
Pooooooooow!
However, Kajann's fist flew in first and struck Francesca right in the face.
"Kuhugh!"
She flew black, rolling across the floor where she landed.
"You okay?"
"Yeah!"
Simon fixed his grip and Kajann clenched his fists. Francesca got up, giggling as she wiped her mouth.
"Come at me."
The two dashed to the left and right once more, leaving afterimages where they stood.
Flashes of black and white arrived quickly at both sides, dodging the falling crosses.
"Kiiaaahh!"
"Hiyaaaaap!"
Fist and greatsword crossed. Punches and slashes recklessly filled the air.
Francesca, who was at the center of the attack, focused on defense. But her body slowly accumulated damage after failing to deflect more and more blows.
Pow!
Kajann's punch broke through her guard and hit her square in the chin. As she flew into the air, the inside of Simon's foot arced through the air and hooked around her neck.
Slam!
He sent her flying into the ground. Then, he immediately raised the Greatsword of Destruction, but she slid out of range by kicking Simon's main sword hand.
"Huff!"
As soon as she got up, Kajann swerved right in front of her and unleashed yet another flurry of blows.
Pow! Wham! Crush!
Surging with the momentum, Kajann broke through Francescas defenses. An elbow left her nose bloody, and he jabbed her right in the abdomen.
She was about to counterattack by grabbing Kajann's ankle, but
'Open!'
Slaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaash!
The Overlord's blade rose from the ground and dug into her shoulder. For the first time, fury flashed in her eyes.
"You bastards!"
Whish!
Kajann punched again. She tried to chop at Kajann's wrist, but he immediately revealed it to be a feint as he ducked down. Simon appeared behind her with the greatsword.
Swiiiiing!
She hurriedly crouched to dodge it. A few strands of her long red hair were slashed.
'So close!'
Simon tried to aim for her neck, but unfortunately, he missed.
However, she was forced to make an overly large movement, and an opening came.
Simon flicked his wrists and the Overlords tentacles emerged from beneath Kajann's feet, launching him into the air.
Then Kajann, floating through the air, stretched his arms out wide, craned his neck back, and bent his legs to the point that they almost touched his back.
His eyes gleamed.
{Kajann Original - Fang}
Slaaaaaaaaaaaaaash!
He crossed his outstretched arms in front of him, and ten terrifying claw marks were drawn in the air.
Claws carved through the floors and walls. And across her body. The uppermost claw slashed her throat.
A fountain of blood gushed out from her neck, chest, and stomach at the same time. Above all, the damage to the neck went deep.
'It went in cleanly!'
Simon clenched his fists in victory.
Kajann, who had come back down, gasped for breath and looked forward.
Francesca stared at the ceiling in disbelief as she clutched at the wound in her neck that just wouldnt stop bleeding.
Simon was catching his breath as he deactivated the Jet-Black Eruption. His body felt like it wouldve exploded even before Francesca got another to kill him.
'To think that these bastards are acting as students.'
She laughed and tilted her neck to the side with a creak.
"Certainly, you guys can't be defeated by Francesca. But don't you think it's a bit strange?"
A chill ran down their spines.
It really was strange.
"Among those guarding this place, there were necromancers stronger than you guys. But now they're all like this. I wonder why?"
Fwooooooosh!
White Flames burst from her body. Simon's eyes widened.
'Divinity!'
The divine flame completely sealed the wounds from Kajann's attack, leaving only thin scars.
Soon, white clothes formed from flames covered her body.
"You think I'll just sit and watch?!!"
Kajann rushed forward with his exhausted body. She saw him and snapped her fingers with a sneer.
"!"
White flames erupted in front of her, blowing Kajann away. As the white flames clung to his body, Kajann struggled with a rare scream of pain.
[Actually, I'm not Francesca. My name is Flema.]
Her red was mixed with white, and her eyes became more and more cloudy.
[One of the seven pillars that protect Efnel.]
Simon's face turned pale, and Pier was also letting out a wry laugh at the unexpected twist. White flames burned all around her as she ascended into the air.
She wasn't someone who could simply be called 'a priest of Efnel'. Lumping her in with such trash would be an insult to those she had slain.
She was one of the Dark Alliance's greatest and worst adversaries.
[I am the Saintess of Purification.]