NOVEL NEXT Chapter 159.1
Chapter 159.1. The First Battle
[Hlidskjalf]
A royal Bloodline Magic passed down through the royal family, and one of the most complex in all Bloodline Magic. In fact, even Hermes has never been able to fully unleash its effects, nor has he been able to incorporate it into the complex Bloodline Magic as a component.
Therefore.
──It’s not something that someone who isn’t of royal blood should be able to use so easily.
“Ugh…!”
A groan escapes.
A rain of beams of light, falling only on the area where Hermes and the others are.
He responded instinctively. He deployed [Teur Gear] and tried to divert all his magic power into maintaining the barrier to block it.
──However.
(…I can’t believe it)
Staggering, Hermes mutters to himself.
(This isn’t the power of this magic──[Hlidskjalf]…!)
That’s right──it was simply too strong.
Stronger than the one he used… no, stronger even than the one Rose used.
The beam he just received had a far greater power.
That’s why he couldn’t block it perfectly. Some of the beams managed to get through. Fortunately, everyone else helped out, and it didn’t lead to anything serious, but everyone except Hermes had sustained considerable injuries.
(This magic isn’t [Hlidskjalf]… it’s something else)
Hermes concludes.
A beam magic more powerful and deadly than anything he knew.
Yes, it could only be described as the ‘divine punishment’ the Archbishop just mentioned. But wait, could such a thing even exist? How could it…
And before Hermes, who was grinding his teeth in frustration over so many unanswered questions.
“──As expected, Your Excellency the Archbishop.”
“This is the way. To make a fool understand, this is the quickest method.”
“……”
Lucius praises, and Johan answers as though it’s obvious. Then there’s Nina, silent.
The three who cornered Hermes were now walking toward him to end this once and for all.
“……This is”
Lucius, who had more power than Hermes and neutralized all magic through sheer strength.
Nina, his natural enemy, who possessed magic highly effective against Hermes.
Johan, who wielded magic far stronger and more mysterious than anything Hermes knew.
──These were the core members of the Northern Alliance. The true strength of the Church.
Hermes’ judgment was swift.
“……Duke, retreat.──There’s no chance of winning.”
In a calm voice, Hermes calls to Jurgen, who was nearby.
The others are shocked, but they quickly realize that this decision is inevitable.
Jurgen nods in agreement.
“…There’s no other option. Understood. I’ll gather the remaining soldiers and retreat. I don’t know much about the north, but the soldiers who fled before we arrived mentioned—there must be a place they ran to. We’ll head there.”
After quickly deciding on their plan, however, Jurgen squints and adds.
“The problem is──whether they’ll let us.”
Indeed.
The setup before Hermes was clear.
They already had perfect control over their movements──and were using that to concentrate all their forces in this one spot, planning to trap them here.
Before the northern rebellion could even begin, they aimed to end everything with maximum efficiency.
Naturally, they wouldn’t let them escape without a fight… but.
“Don’t worry.”
Still, Hermes calmly reassures. Then, he continues,
“──I’ll hold them off alone. While you—”
“──!”
Everyone is once again taken aback, and Katia raises her voice.
“Herm! Are you out of your mind? You can’t do this alone, even you…!”
“Katia-sama.”
He answers her concern by calling her name.
There’s no time to explain in detail──but through the trust they’ve built, Katia understands.
He’s in his right mind and doesn’t intend to sacrifice himself here.
Realizing this, she hesitates a little, but resolutely says:
“Come back in one piece. If not, I’ll never physically let you leave my side again.”
“…Understood.”
That makes him even more determined, and he steels himself.
They start walking in opposite directions: Hermes toward the enemies, Katia and the others guiding the soldiers to retreat.
Thus, Hermes faces the Northern Alliance alone.
“──Foolish. What can you do alone?”
“…I must agree with the Archbishop. You’re strong enough, but you know there’s no chance of victory, let alone being able to even slow us down.”
Archbishop Johan and Lucius speak like that.
Hermes tries to buy time with words, but of course, they won’t allow it.
“Go. Deal with this man immediately… at the very least, capture the princess.”
Though the Archbishop’s order caught his attention, there was no time to ponder it.
Lucius and the silent Nina lunged at him.
──It didn’t last even a minute.
While dodging Lucius’s assault, he also prevented Nina from getting too close, all the while needing to stay in place.
Johan, for some reason, isn’t joining the pursuit, but that doesn’t change the overwhelming power disparity. In fact, lasting even a minute was a miracle.
But of course, the cost was steep. Having exhausted all his energy in such a short time, Hermes breathes heavily. Unable to cast a single spell, he glares at Lucius and Nina.
He’s about to step into Nina’s magic range. Once that happens, there will be nothing left to do.
──But. It’s enough.
He’s far enough now.
What Hermes had been stalling for wasn’t just to buy time for the soldiers to escape.
It was to get the soldiers and Katia far enough away from here, to a point where they wouldn’t get involved in what would happen next.
Confirming that with his magic perception, Hermes casts his prepared spell──and speaks.
“Spell Reenactment──[Laevateinn]”
Lucius and Nina brace themselves. They must have sensed the buildup of magic and guessed it was a big spell.
However… the Archbishop doesn’t even raise an eyebrow. He probably knows about this spell… and knows that it won’t change anything.
──But of course.
Hermes is well aware of that──and so.
He announces ‘one more.’
“Spell combination──[Ahura Mazda]”
“──What?”
For the first time, the Archbishop’s brows twitch.
Naturally, this is something that couldn’t be anticipated.
…After all, this is the first time he’d seen a combined Bloodline Magic.
[Laevateinn] and [Ahura Mazda].
Normally, combining these two is impossible.
After all, one is a part of the other, and the former is a kind of composite magic made by combining several Bloodline Magics.
To forcibly combine them is impossible with Hermes’ current skill. If he tried, the spell wouldn’t even hold.
But──what if he’s not trying to make the magic work as intended?
Combining magic. Adding fire to the great sword of flame.
At the same time, destruction begins. And he lets it continue, deliberately holding back only the crucial, fatal destruction with magic, and increasing the pressure of the contained, enormous firepower.
Finally, at the moment it reaches critical mass.
He leaps backward and throws the flaming sword in front of him.
…It’s all a simple act, despite the theory.
Hermes wraps up the entire sequence with one sentence.
“──A self-destruct, you see.”
“You──!”
The command to stop is too late, and before the Northern Alliance can react, they can only freeze in place, realizing what’s about to happen.
──A blinding crimson explosion illuminates the entire area.
◆