Against the World II: Transgression
Chapter 36: The Stronger Saints, part 2
In North Carolina, the fighting continues. Alforalis was in trouble to finish off the Fifth Saint's teddy bear because it could also absorb its magic attacks. He also could not attack him from close because of the explosive effects on his body. Alforalis had tried to blow up the energy balls of his particles before the doll could absorb them, but the doll's body was sturdier than he had imagined. Alforalis is quite a problem.
On the other hand, Reinhart heroically led the soldiers of the Imperial Army and the New World Order against an army of Knights Templar who had increased in number. Even though his one hand was stumped, he remained unstoppable. With his martial technique focused on stopping the flow of blood, Reinhart finished off the average enemy with just one strike.
On the other side again, Dermyus and Hekiel darted rapidly against Fifth Saint Bedivere. Dermyus' body layered with thick black lightning armor. Sword too. He looked like the embodiment of lightning itself. Meanwhile, Hekiel clasped the adamantite spear in both of his hands. He has also used Adamantite Skin spelling, making his skin maroon and as hard as adamantite.
Bedivere welcomed their arrival by scourging the roots of the thorny poison. Although it was literally a root, the sharp tip of Hekiel's adamantite spear was unable to cut it. On the contrary, even though it was not deep enough to bleed, the sharp thorn of the root was able to leave a scratch on its skin. Only Dermyus managed to cut the root. It was also because of his black lightning. If not, of course the commander's sword will fail as well.
Bedivere took out more of his poisonous thorny roots, intent on keeping their distance and overcoming them from afar. However, Dermyus— who had already turned his body into lightning— appeared quickly in front of Bedivere. The Commander was significantly faster than before; only Bedivere's sharp instinct had allowed him to duck avoiding the slash of the sword.
After looking down, Bedivere immediately moved to the side—thin avoiding the thunderous black lightning strike. However, at that time Hekiel—, which had managed to overwrite the poisonous roots with chunks of adamantite— stone, was already behind Bedivere. The commander exerted all his strength to make his two spear eyes penetrate the saint's back.
Unfortunately for Hekiel, he was not as fast as Dermyus. Bedivere, with his astonishing suppleness, avoided the second stab of Hekiel's spear in an unreasonable manner. Not only that, he even took back one of Hekiel's spears and used it to fend off the swing of Dermyus' sword. At the same time, Bedivere's mouth was spitting out poisonous fumes.
Dermyus did not worry about the poisonous fumes as he could turn his body into lightning. However, the same did not apply to Hekiel, and his position could not instantly make him stay away. Dermyus understood what Hekiel ‒ thought the man intended to ignore the poisonous fumes and thrust his spear into Bedivere's body. Hence, Dermyus took off his sword then ducked down and kicked Hekiel firmly.
“Hekiel, I'll hold it, you fok—!”
Bedivere made use of the screaming Dermyus to grip his neck with his thick mana-clad hand. Although he could turn his body into lightning, but when he was willing to use any part of his body in need to normalize that part of the body. As a result, Bedivere successfully wound the commander.
But Dermyus quickly turned his neck and mouth into lightning and darted away. “—You focus on restraining and restricting his movements!” he shouted at Hekiel, continuing his delayed speech. “Or, just immerse him to the ground!”
Bedivere stuck out the spear he had snatched from Hekiel and put the palms together. A gray magic circle mixed with a violet radius of two hundred meters instantly coated the surface of the ground. Not only Dermyus and Hekiel who were above the magic circle, Alforalis and the teddy bear were also on it.
“Summoning Magic: Impenetrable Death Arena!”
Immediately, the ground shook, and the four of them (five with teddy bears) were suddenly already on the floor of the gray arena filled with puddles of poison and acid in several parts. The two-hundred-meter-long arena has eight giant pillars (clad with poisonous thorn roots) on its edges. The eight pillars support the roof of the arena, on which a giant glass container containing black liquid hangs.
“Welcome to the arena of Dame Bedivere!” bedivere shouted as he spread out his two hands. “Here we will play to the death. Until Dame Bedivere dies or uncle-of-three dies, no one can get out of here. It's exciting, isn't it?”
“...You limit Hekiel in using his magic,” comments Dermyus—ia has returned to its usual form. “With the sky blocked, I will also not be able to use my magic optimally.”
“Of course! Dame Bedivere didn't want to be forced to go under. Dame Bedivere never wanted to play under. Dame Bedivere always plays at the top and dominates every opponent. It is an injustice if Dame Bedivere is dominated. Dame Bedivere makes co-stars scream, not the other way around.”
“He is strong and fast,” Hekiel said after stopping beside Dermyus. “I don't think he can snatch my spear after dodging my attack. The flexibility of his body is truly amazing. It would be very difficult to deal with it if both.”
Dermyus glanced at Alforalis who had difficulty coping with the teddy bear, then shook his head. “We can't count on General Alfo—ah, Hekiel, I think you're better suited to the doll. You're just per—”
Meanwhile, Hekiel moved his spear to fend off the roots trying to attack. At the same time, he created hundreds of walls of soil—which in a matter of milliseconds instantly turned into adamantite—to clamp and destroy the roots. He had tried to push the surface of the floor to create a deep hole, but his magic did not work. Hekiel can't use the efficient way.
Bedivere had to admit that Dermyus became troublesome when he transformed into lightning. He became fast enough that he had to concentrate fully to dodge. Even the roots are ineffective: Dermyus easily scorches any attacking roots. Bedivere was forced into a defensive position while looking for an opportunity to exploit the counter-attacking gap.
“You must me—gahhh!” Bedivere who was about to provoke Dermyus immediately crashed when suddenly Alforalis's foot hit the left side of his head. He fell and fell into a puddle of poison.
“It's three against two, don't forget it!” alforalis exclaimed as he shot particle balls at the teddy bear.
Dermyus immediately seized the opportunity to bombard Bedivere with his black lightning. However, suddenly a teddy bear appeared in front of Bedivere. Dermyus's lightning strikes were absorbed by him. None of the lightning strikes hit the target.
“The doll was really troublesome,” comments Alforalis who already stood beside Dermyus.
“He teleported?” The question did not come out of Dermyus' mouth, but Hekiel who was already behind them. “He can teleport too?” again, stopping beside the elf. Despite asking his two colleagues, but Hekiel's eyes focused on the doll and Bedivere who was lying on a puddle of poison.
“Kramuel.”
Dermyus who was about to answer Hekiel's question cancelled his intention as the saint's voice filled the room.
“Dame Bedivere is really upset. Now release the separator. Back on Dame Bedivere, Einheivoem Achlys.”
…The dense aura of death instantly filled the arena.
...* * * * *...
Fact-1#Kramuel is the name of the spirit that controls the teddy bear, he is one of the 7 elite subordinates of the Sakhra Spirit King. He was in charge of guarding the Lake of Darkness in the realm of death—it was a lake that contained stains from souls being cleansed within the Purification Lake. There is no poison more deadly than the content of the Dark Lake.
Fact-2#Bedivere got the Fifth Saint position without relying on Kramuel. He won in a duel with Gallahad—but Gallahad did not use his main magic. Gallahad served him because of the female Bedivere. Gallahad loves woman very much.
Fact-3#Bedivere at the age of five almost died by accidentally drinking poison that his mother concocted. Kramuel (who happened to be in Axellibra because Sakhra asked Fie for food) smelled the scent of death by poison, so he checked it out. Kramuel liked the look in his eyes, and he made a contract with him.
Fact-4#Saint Marcus became Fourth Saint because Bedivere was lazy to serve him—he likes the Fifth Saint Bedivere call. Gallahad prefers to tease his female subordinates rather than trouble themselves to fight. Marcus thought they were not confident against him, hence considering themselves as the fourth strongest.
Fact-5#Bedivere decided to rely on Kramuel not because he thought he could not win, but because he was too angry because his head was kicked.