[Vol. 8] Chapter 104: I Unleash a Solar Flare!
That’s why, even if she had chosen to strike first and kill Rudolph earlier, it would have likely been a waste of effort and energy. The only real way to solve the problem was to destroy that strange golem head-on and take down both enemies at the same time.
There was only one chance. She had to finish the battle before the enemy figured out the truth and weaknesses of the [Absolute Sword]. That meant she would put everything into next strike.
“Phew~”
The gentle wind once again blew across the open field, but it didn’t lift even a strand of the girl’s hair or the hem of her clothes. Her presence and aura were so intense that even the air felt frozen and heavy.
The strange golem, maintained by Rudolph but not fully under his control, let out a low, restless growl. It could feel the earth-shaking blow that was about to come.
Anger. Rage. Madness!
“ROAR!!!!!”
Finally, the giant golem, violent and not very smart, was the first to break the silence. It bent its knees and jumped into the air like a wild beast, launching itself at the girl with all its might!
A flash of cold light passed through the swordswoman’s beautiful eyes. As if reacting to the incoming attack, her long sword once again flew from its sheath like lightning.
“Absolute Sword…”
But just then—
Zzzz… BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!!!!
A massive golden light beam, shining like divine punishment, suddenly fell from the sky. It struck directly and perfectly onto the airborne golem, wrapping it completely in blazing sunlight!
“RAAAHHHH!!!”
RUMBLE!!!
That golden pillar of light held a terrifying power, like a real physical force, smashing the golem straight into the ground. Extreme heat, hot enough to melt metal and stone, spread out in an instant. The spiky, terrifying golem roared and struggled on the ground, but it couldn’t break free from the golden light’s pressure. It even began melting along with the earth beneath it, right before their eyes. In just a blink, it had sunk deep into the ground.
The sudden change caught both Hongyan and Rudolph off guard. Still, they instinctively stepped back to avoid the heat waves.
From their point of view, all they could see was the deep pit filled with strange blue-green smoke rising wildly. But before the gas could rise more than a meter, it was completely burned away by the divine light from above, like evil being judged by a higher power.
“…What?”
“How can this be…?”
A deadly battle was just about to begin, but it was suddenly and violently interrupted in such a strange and unexpected way. The two who were about to fight could only stare at each other in shock, not knowing what had just happened.
But there was one thing they both understood without saying it.
—Whoever made that attack… was incredibly strong.
Stronger than the weird golem Rudolph had summoned. Stronger than Hongyan. And maybe… so far beyond their understanding that even trying to compare themselves felt stupid and laughable.
Especially for Rudolph Lombard, as the one who actually summoned the golem, he knew better than anyone how strong it was and where it came from. That golem had been specially prepared for him by those people during their earlier deal. It was meant to be his final trump card in case things went wrong during this mission. In fact, it was the main reason he had dared to go through with the plan at all.
After all, the golem’s original target... was none other than Edwina Cecilia, the Knight of the Goddess.
Sure, those people had told him after some tests and assassination attempts that Edwina’s power had reached a terrifying level. Even that golem would, at best, slow her down a little, and had no chance of truly defeating her.
But to be destroyed like that, so easily, without even getting close to the enemy... struck down from a distance by a golden beam of light...
Suddenly, a chill ran through Rudolph’s heart. A thought appeared, something that might be true, but felt too impossible to believe.
He instinctively looked up to the sky, trying to see where that bright beam of light had come from. But for some reason, the whole sky was blindingly bright, like looking directly at the sun. All he could see was white light. His eyes began to tear up with blood as if they were being burned, and his head buzzed with pain, making him dizzy.
“That's enough. Lower your gaze, it's disrespectful. Mortals aren’t supposed to look directly at a god. It’s harmful. I’m pretty sure I wrote that clearly in the holy scriptures... Didn’t you ever read them?”
A familiar voice came from behind him, not the voice of the sword-wielding girl from earlier. Rudolph was stunned. He quickly turned around and used holy magic to heal his burned eyes. As his vision slowly cleared, he froze in shock at the sight in front of him.
“...Edwina Cecilia?! Y-You… how is this possible...?”
“If you're wondering how I found your location and caught up with you so quickly. Of course, it was the goddess’s guidance.”
Behind her, a pair of long, metal wings folded neatly after just finishing their job. Wearing her battle armor, Her Holiness the Pope gently waved her hand. Then, from the sky, more holy knights with similar metal wings descended quickly in formation. There were so many of them, they filled the sky, at least a thousand!
From the symbol on their armor, a hand representing the goddess’s mercy. It was clear that these were elite members of the Pope’s personal guard: the "Grace of God" Holy Knight Order.
Leading them was none other than one of Edwina’s top commanders, known for being strict, logical, and free from personal bias. He was called Claesius Summerfield, the Blade of Divine Judgment.
As soon as he landed, Claesius quickly counted his troops and gave a loud, formal report to the Pope, showing no emotion on his face.
“Your Holiness, the ‘Grace of God’ special airborne unit, all 1,000 members have arrived. No one is missing. Please give your next orders!”
“Good. The remaining members of the Lombard family just left this area. They’ve lost their mounts, so they couldn’t have gone far. Break into squads and search in all directions. If they surrender, capture them. If they resist, you are authorized to judge and punish them on the spot. Remember, these false believers who turned against the goddess’s teachings must not be allowed to escape. In the name of the goddess, leave no one behind!”
“Yes, Your Holiness!”
Without hesitation, the holy knights spread their wings and launched into the air again, flying out in every direction. Rudolph could only watch in horror, feeling a cold fear settle in his heart.
The Lombard family… was finished.
After leaving behind just over a hundred holy knights to clean up the area, Edwina, who had arrived like a divine warrior, finally turned back toward Rudolph. Her eyes were complicated, and she sighed while shaking her head.
“Rudolph Lombard, the goddess is all-knowing and all-powerful. Under her guidance, your sloppy escape plan was never really a secret. And have you forgotten? Back during the Fourth Demon War, I led thousands of elite soldiers across the sky to surprise the enemy from behind. Do you remember how I did that? You’re trying to run with your legs on the ground, do you really think you can outrun someone who can fly?”