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Chapter 46

Mev, having shattered the two layers of the force field with only her charge, was about to leap when the space in front of Regis tore vertically, and a long leg, resembling that of an insect or arthropod, suddenly protruded. Mev tilted her sword at an angle as the claw at the end of the leg flew towards her.

Screech.

The blade grazed the claw, sparking red sparks. Mev\'s grip tightened as she slid down the leg to its joint.

Swish.

The leg was severed, and the space snapped shut, revealing Regis. Mev launched herself at him just as the footsteps of the approaching void hounds grew frantic. Her sword, resembling a lump of divine power, fell vertically. Almost simultaneously, Regis created the maximum force field.

Creeeek.

The red trajectory collided with the force field. The divine power sword, nearly two meters long, burned like a blade, sequentially breaking through the force fields. However, its momentum clearly began to diminish. Right after, the invisible teeth and claws of the void hounds swarmed over Mev.

Crack!

Mev’s shoulder and breastplate buckled, splattering blood again. The sword, in contact with the force field, prevented Mev from being thrown back. The attraction created by the opposing forces pulled at each other. Mev gritted her teeth and pulled back her chin. Her entire body tensed. The grip on her sword\'s hilt tightened, with the sound of bone cracking faintly, the divine power on the sword blazed even redder.

Regis\'s face, regaining composure, filled with horror.

"Ah... Aaahhh!" Mev screamed, almost a cry of desperation, as she slammed her sword down. The last force field shattered into pieces, and a red trajectory split Regis\'s body diagonally.

"Ah, Ahhhh!" With a scream, Regis\'s upper body split open, spurting black blood and severed tentacles. Landing, Mev swung her sword, piercing through the void hound clinging to her back, finally touching the ground with her hand.

"This... damn... witch...!" A grating roar burst from Regis\'s mouth, on the brink of being bisected. Tar-like mucus spread from his wound, and dark red muscle fibers struggled to hold the separating upper and lower bodies together. As his body barely fused back together, Regis\'s glands spasmed violently.

"I will make you drift in the void forever... suffering...! Behold......!" Regis cried out.

All over his body, tentacles glowed purple and writhed. Regis lifted his staff-fused hand, slashing through the air.

Crackle.

Space cracked open, revealing the overlapping realities of the material world and the void.

"The true God shall judge you...!" Regis\'s cry echoed.

Mev, barely standing, witnessed the curtain of void unfolding before her and the multitude of thin, long legs piercing through. Legs like those she had cut, countless, pushing through space.

Eyes, dense and malevolent like compound eyes, felt from beyond the veil. Mev\'s face, sensing her end, found peace. Though she hadn\'t killed him, she felt her divinity corroding Regis\'s insides. She believed that Ian could surely finish the revenge. That was enough for her. The legs spread wide, ready to tear her apart in an instant. Mev humbly closed her eyes when suddenly,

"I haven\'t given any answer yet." A voice pulled her consciousness back to reality. Ian stood in front, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Mev opened her eyes wide. Ian looked down at her, his eyes piercing shimmering blue she had never seen before.

"A request must be accepted to be valid. It can’t be just notified." As Ian spoke, a colossal ice barrier was forming around him, with countless icicles sprouting from the opposite side like stalactites.

Crack!

The legs burrowed into the barrier, but the ice wall did not break, perfectly protecting Ian and Mev within. It was blue magic, Frost Shield, manifested from chaos power and amplified by the essence bead, unfolded as a barrier that even the existence of the void couldn\'t shatter in an instant.

Boom!

The next moment, the shield exploded, sending fragments scattering in all directions. The legs were pushed back, and shards flew into the gaps in space. Ian\'s eyes momentarily took on a purple hue before flickering back to red.

Ian slightly pushed Mev away.

"I\'ll have to decline your request, Sir. So, please take care of your surroundings yourself." Ian turned away.

Crackle, crackle.

In the palm of his hand, the essence bead, cracking on the surface, flashed a bright yellow.

Whoosh!

A white flame shot out in a straight line, piercing through the gaps in space. The legs twitched as if in a spasm.

Screeeeech!

A grating scream burst from beyond the veil of the void. The eyes beyond the curtain burst as they cooked.

Ian, stepping forward with difficulty, kept emitting flames until the end. The writhing legs retreated into the gaps in space, and the broken spaces pieced back together, restoring their original form. It was then the flames died down.

Regis, bent sideways in a daze, was revealed.

Ian, drawing his sword, muttered, "Your apostle was about to die. Are you just going to watch even at this moment?"

It was a taunt, but faint divine power actually flickered along the Sword of Judgment.

Regis hastily reached his hand out, "Wait...."

Ian, without hesitation, raised his sword.

Crack.

The rest of Regis\'s waist was cleanly severed. Ian did not stop there but continued to slash furiously.

Crack! Crack!

Regis\'s arms were cut off. Finally, stepping on the neck of Regis, Ian bent down.

"Let me tell you something,” Ian whispered. He continued, "What you worshipped wasn\'t the real Ancient God. It was just a pet raised by a God."

"What... did you say...?" said Regis.

Woosh!

Ian\'s sword cut through the gland.

"Ah, aaahhh!" A scream burst from Regis\'s mouth. Stepping on his face to rise, Ian shook off the disoriented gaze and turned around. Mev, barely standing and leaning on her sword like a staff, looked at him.

"It seems this is something you should do," said Ian.

Despite being utterly pale, Mev smiled, "Gladly."

Mev, with all her might, chopped down on the neck. Regis\'s head rolled away. The veins covering his face pulsed like a heart before finally calming down.

"Cough...." Ian spat out the blood he had been holding back and slumped to the ground.

Mev, swaying, collapsed next to him. Ian looked beyond the broken throne, at the window Regis had been facing. Dawn was breaking and the night of madness had passed. Dismissing the quest completion notification without checking,

Ian chuckled, "That was quite the noble last word, Sir."

Teasing though he intended, Ian received no response. Squinting, he turned his head and saw Mev\'s shoulders heaving as she leaned against his back, prompting a hollow laugh from him.

"...How can you fall asleep so quickly?" said Ian.

Or is she unconscious? Ian thought.

However, there was no way to know. Within seconds, he too lost consciousness, leaning against Mev.

***

Ian and Mev were escorted back to the Riurel family mansion under the guard of the royal knights and soldiers. Ian woke up a full day and a half later.

Looking down at the bandages wrapped around his body, he groaned, feeling the ache as he left the room.

Miguel, cleaning the garden, widened his eyes in surprise, "Sir...! You were asleep for so long, I feared you\'d never wake up!"

"How is Sir Riurel?" Ian asked.

"She woke up about half a day ago. She\'s resting again now. She might not be able to wield a sword for a while, but... there\'s no danger to her life. Ah, the same goes for you," said Miguel.

"That\'s good to hear,” said Ian.

Ian slumped down in a corner of the garden, feeling sore and drained. His stomach also churned. It was a classic symptom of magical exhaustion. The shard of chaos within him was more than half depleted. How to replenish it was a thought he didn\'t want to entertain just yet.

Miguel returned quickly with water, "The city\'s almost back to order. The damage wasn\'t as extensive as we feared, but many lives were lost. The soldiers have collected the bodies of the victims for cremation."

"What about the hounds?" Ian asked.

"Vanished without a trace. Where they\'ve gone, nobody knows. Thanks to you, Sir Riruel’s dishonor has been cleared. That damned duke, no, that corrupt being\'s body is hung on every city wall. Cut into three pieces, just right," said Miguel.

Ian nodded as he drank the water, his battle with Regis flashing through his mind. Regis was the strongest enemy he had faced since arriving in this world. Of course, nothing compared to what he might face in the future, but still a formidable threat.

"Fuck...," Ian murmured.

"Huh? Does it still anger you? Should I not have mentioned it?" Miguel asked.

"No, keep going,” said Ian

"A meeting has been scheduled for two to three days from now. You can do what you intended then. It should\'ve been held immediately, but we couldn\'t proceed without you and Sir Riurel. I\'ll go and announce that you\'ve woken up shortly," said Miguel.

"...." Ian replied in silence.

"Right, and I\'ve heard an interesting rumor–" Miguel was about to share the gossip when suddenly,

"Sir! Sir..!" Philip came running down the stairs as if tumbling.

"It\'s a relief! Truly a relief...!" Collapsing in front of Ian, Philip nearly cried out.

Thought that he had become a mercenary but I guess there is still a long way to go, Ian mused.

"Yeah, you did well too." Ian nodded nonchalantly.

Philip added, "My lord just woke up again as well. I was on my way to fetch something for her to eat. Should I get something for you too?"

"Considering you serve two Lords, that should be obvious," Miguel answered for Ian.

Ian stood up, "Is she in her room?"

"Yes," Philip replied.

Ian moved towards the stairs, his strength not fully recovered yet even with his high stats. Likely, he had suffered several fractures or cracks.

The empty corridor echoed with his steps. Now, there were less than ten people left in the mansion. He suddenly understood why Mev had been ready to give up on life. Being left alone in a space once filled with loved ones might be a greater pain than death itself.

Lucia peeked out from a room just then.

"...?" As Ian turned, puzzled, Lucia ran across the corridor and hugged him tightly, causing both pain and surprise.

"...Thank you, Sir Mercenary,” Lucia whispered.

Ian, frowning, eventually patted her head awkwardly.

Lucia suddenly stepped back.

"...But that doesn\'t mean I like you, mercenary." She spoke indifferently and darted back into her room.

"I didn’t say anything...," said Ian.

Did she say that because of that damn curse? Ian mumbled, shaking his head as he walked on. Opening Mev\'s room, he found her sitting on the bed, turning to look at him. Life returned to her previously empty green eyes, blooming like a flower.

"I see that you\'re awake. I\'ve been waiting." Her smile contrasted with her matter-of-fact tone.

Chuckling, Ian entered her room, "It was only a half-day difference, after all."