Chapter 136: Kalosia’s Holy Land (6)

Hayes desperately insisted that everything was a misunderstanding, repeatedly saying she had done nothing special. She tried to explain that Ketal hadn’t come here to become a follower of Kalosia, nor did he have any significant connection to her. Yet, no one believed a word she said. Someone even laughed heartily and replied, “Come on, are you seriously saying that the barbarian was thoughtful and polite from the beginning? I heard you were one of the first people he met outside his homeland. Do you really expect us to believe such a ridiculous story? Where would you even find a barbarian like that?” Hayes couldn’t refute their logic, because truthfully, it was far easier to believe that she had taught Ketal to be civilized than that he had always been this way. This made her situation all the more agonizing. As Ketal’s reputation soared higher by the day, Hayes’s mental state rapidly deteriorated. With a dying expression, she found herself walking alongside Ketal. He’d expressed a desire for someone to guide him around the sacred city, and she’d been unanimously chosen for the task. Every time they walked side by side, followers passing by watched them with warm, approving gazes. Please... make them stop, Hayes begged inwardly. She felt her stomach twisting itself into knots. As they walked, Ketal glanced around and muttered softly, “It’s surprisingly peaceful here.” Indeed, the atmosphere was far better than he’d anticipated. People didn’t seem as gloomy as expected and appeared hopeful about the future of their city. “For now, at least,” Hayes replied quietly. “As long as there’s no external interference, this is typically how our holy land feels. And it’s all thanks to you.” Before Ketal’s arrival, the mood had undoubtedly been much darker. His presence alone had brightened their spirits, and for that, Hayes was genuinely grateful. She bowed her head slightly toward him. “Truly, thank you for coming here to help us.” “You don’t have to keep thanking me. I wouldn’t abandon a friend in need,” Ketal said cheerfully. Hayes stared at Ketal’s smiling face for a moment, a troubling thought crossing her mind. Could I really be the one who’s mistaken? She wondered if she had misunderstood Ketal all along and if he truly came here purely out of goodwill. With so many insisting she was wrong, Hayes was starting to question herself. Just as her expression grew troubled and she was about to voice a question, darkness surged forth. “Hm?” Ketal turned to look toward the outskirts of the sacred city. The plains in the distance were rapidly darkening, blackness spilling outward as if intent on completely surrounding the holy land. The believers nearby gasped anxiously at the sudden, unnatural phenomenon. Their faces drained of color. Immediately, the holy knights standing guard drew their weapons. Rakuza stepped forward, a grim expression on his face, followed closely by Naflas. An atmosphere of tension swiftly enveloped the area. At that moment, Hayes clearly saw the sudden, eager smile forming on Ketal’s face. In an instant, she realized it wasn’t she who’d been mistaken; rather, it was everyone else. “They’ve finally come,” Ketal murmured, his voice brimming with anticipation. *** “What’s happening?” Ketal asked. “You’ve arrived,” Rakuza replied, gripping his sword tightly as Ketal joined them near the perimeter. “It’s an invasion.” The protective barrier surrounding the sacred city wasn’t something evil could easily breach. Instead, they’d gathered enough strength to launch one massive, coordinated assault—and it was precisely that moment. Ketal gazed out at the distant plains and clicked his tongue quietly. “There certainly are a lot of them.” The vast plain was filled to the horizon with monsters, dark creatures, and black-robed mages mingling among them. Their numbers easily exceeded ten times the available forces within the holy land. “I don’t see the Saintess anywhere,” Ketal remarked. “She must remain inside to maintain the barrier, so she can’t join the battle,” Rakuza explained. “This looks tough. What’s my role here?” Ketal asked him. “You may act freely,” Rakuza replied firmly. “Once you join the fight, their leaders will undoubtedly move to fight you.” “Understood.” “Please, take care.” While they exchanged words, the monsters surged rapidly forward, swiftly nearing the edge of the sacred city. Rakuza shouted a firm command. “Everyone, draw your swords!” In perfect unison, the knights drew their gleaming blades. Clad in shining silver armor, they positioned themselves defensively, while priests behind them urgently began their prayers. “This land belongs to Kalosia! How dare these vile creatures invade our sanctuary! Are we going to let this happen?” “No, sir!” came the surrounding reply from the knights. Rakuza’s eyes flashed fiercely as he roared once more, “For the honor of Kalosia! Prepare to lay down your lives!” “For Kalosia!” Their battle cries echoed far beyond the holy land. Rakuza charged forward, the holy knights swiftly following. Immediately, light and darkness clashed violently. “Oh, wow.” Ketal chuckled, observing the unfolding spectacle. “Impressive.” The collision between forces was intense. Humans guided by divine faith and monsters born of evil fiercely clashed, risking their very lives in battle. Remarkably, despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered, it was the divine believers who held the advantage. “So, this is the power of divinity,” Ketal mused thoughtfully. The divine power granted to believers by their deity held an absolute advantage against monsters born of darkness. Massive beasts were swiftly swept away by flashes of sacred light. Although the sheer number of enemies prevented an easy victory, the strength of divine power was undeniably powerful. Each holy knight fought valiantly, and among them, Rakuza stood out the most. He’s strong, Ketal thought. Every swing of Rakuza’s golden sword felled multiple monsters at once. Even without wielding sacred scriptures, his prowess clearly surpassed that of Aquaz. Ketal had to admit it was an extraordinary sight, one he’d only imagined in fantasy stories before. Whistling appreciatively, Ketal felt profoundly satisfied. I’ve watched enough. It was now his turn to take action. With that thought, he leaped down from the sacred city toward the outer plains. “Grraaah!” “Uaaaah!” Upon noticing Ketal, several monsters howled ferociously and immediately rushed to ward him. Ketal nonchalantly raised his fist. *** “Hmph!” Rakuza swung his sword, effortlessly slicing through the approaching monster’s arm like a blade through butter. Before the monster could scream in agony, Rakuza thrust his sword into its gaping mouth and whispered solemnly, “By Kalosia’s grace.” A blinding explosion of light erupted, instantly vaporizing the monster. “Graaah!” The other monsters rushed forward, trying to grab Rakuza as he descended. As he fell, he swiftly slashed his blade in every direction, sending blades of light cascading down and cutting through countless monsters. Yet, the space cleared by his attack filled immediately with more foes. Rakuza’s expression darkened. There are far too many of them. The enemy force was at least twice as large as the previous assault. Though they could hold their ground for now, Rakuza doubted whether the holy knights’ stamina would endure much longer. Given the overwhelming odds, even Ketal might be at risk. Worried, Rakuza quickly scanned the battlefield to find Ketal, intending to warn him before he became surrounded. “Huh...?” What Rakuza saw next made him question his own eyes. The monsters attacking Ketal were literally being ripped apart by his bare hands. *** “They certainly come in all shapes and sizes—quite amusing,” Ketal muttered casually as he lightly kicked forward. A monster struck by the simple kick exploded into pieces. The attack didn’t end there. The force of his kick created a shockwave that blasted forward, incapacitating dozens of monsters simultaneously. “Graaah!” Another monster dropped from the sky, aiming straight for Ketal’s head—a beast infamous for burrowing into ears to devour brains. Appearing mildly annoyed, Ketal flicked his hand upwards, and the monster exploded midair. With simple movements—stepping forward, swinging his arm, shrugging his shoulder—Ketal decimated waves of enemies like swatting flies. “There’s still too many of you,” Ketal complained as he stepped heavily onto the ground. Boom! The earth shattered under his foot, erupting upward like a massive wave of debris hurtling forward. Though the monsters had sturdy bodies capable of resisting ordinary impacts, the sheer velocity turned the fragments of earth into deadly projectiles, piercing straight through them. “A-amazing...” Watching the entire scene, Rakuza groaned in disbelief. How is that even possible? He had recognized Ketal as stronger than himself, a warrior clearly at the pinnacle of Transcendent strength. For a fighter of that level, overwhelming numbers typically posed little threat—but even the strongest warriors struggled to clear entire battlefields with raw power alone. Even the mage Adamant had required lengthy chanting to unleash his nature-controlling magic, and the alchemist Arkemis had expended all of her resources to sweep an entire battlefield. Fighters who relied solely on physical strength usually dealt with large enemy groups by systematically cutting them down one by one. Yet, Ketal defied that common sense entirely. With casual gestures—simple swings of his arms, casual footsteps—he wielded power that even trained mages struggled to replicate. Rakuza couldn’t help but question what he was seeing, feeling reality itself had warped around this barbarian. Amidst Rakuza’s confusion, the battle continued fiercely. With each of Ketal’s casual moves eliminating countless foes, the tide rapidly shifted in Kalosia’s favor. Inspired by Ketal’s immense strength, the morale of the holy knights soared even higher. “How can a person be that powerful...?” one of the holy knights remarked. With such a formidable ally fighting alongside them, the knights’ confidence surged, and their grips tightened around their swords. Slowly but steadily, the battlefield turned decisively toward Kalosia’s victory. Eventually, the enemy leaders themselves were forced to take action. “Hm?” Ketal paused briefly after tearing through another horde of monsters. He swiftly raised his hand, effortlessly blocking and dissipating a blast of darkness directed toward him. Ketal smiled calmly. “It’s about time you show up.” “You damned barbarian!” snarled the leader of the dark mages as he appeared, filled with rage. “You dare interfere with our plans?!” “Well, life rarely unfolds as planned,” Ketal replied casually, causing the dark mage’s expression to twist further in anger. “Barbarian Ketal! We’ve already heard about you—you’re an enemy of our cause!” “Oh? You’ve heard of me?” Ketal’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Then you must have connections with the demons. Was it Ashetiaar who informed you? Or perhaps Butler? I’d appreciate it if you clarified.” “How dare you speak the names of the great demons so casually!” “I suppose that means you don’t intend to answer me.” “Barbarian!” the mage snarled, his voice thick with hatred. “We know everything about you. You may act confident due to your pitiful strength, but you’ve finally reached your limit!” As he spoke, the mage swung his staff, gathering an immense power within it. “I will crush you!” the dark mage continued. Ketal chuckled softly at the declaration. “I’ve heard that boast plenty of times.” And not once had anyone succeeded in keeping that promise. “By all means, go ahead. I’m curious to see if you can back it up,” Ketal said nonchalantly.