Saint Guardian

[Rendora]

We finally arrive to the location where the powerful presence is coming from. On the distance, there is a man with long red robes and a steel mask with jewels as its eyes.

So that's him, huh?

The adventurers looks like they are pumped up to fight the werewolves.

We join as well in the fray.

The old werewolf Macdelver is with me as well. The two are behind us. However, looks like the red robed man and the werewolves are still conversing something serious in which we decide to listen.

Are they arguing?

"Sir Wiln, what does he mean that you are a demon? Also, you didn't seem to deny it." Says a werewolf.

"Yeah Sir Wiln, explain yourself!"

The red robed man which is Wiln grabs the werewolf's head up. The werewolf tries to call for help but its useless, dark shadow wraps his body until he is devoured whole, and when the shadow is gone, all that is left are his dried bones. He releases it and it shatters on the ground.

One werewolf cries after seeing his friend, "Ahh! Carnik! What are you doing Sir Wiln?!"

"Killing you fools is easier than making an excuse."

"Then that means--"

"Yeah, we fooled you quite well. Because of that I'm not letting anyone of you go. You and the adventurers here will become my source of nourishment."

Dark aura wraps around Wiln while he is charging up his strength, releasing shockwaves. The werewolves looks surprised. They fall on their knees in disbelief that they just got fooled.

"This can't be?"

"Then all our hardwork are for nothing?"

The adventurers realizes the danger. Half of them decides to flee while the other stays. They must have realized that they can't take on a demon. Demons have the same weight as an overlord after all.

Macdelver grabs my hand. He says as though concerned. "Miss Rendora, we need to leave as soon as possible. Sir Wiln is the strongest of the apostles which means if he is a demon, he is the strongest demon among the seven apostles."

Strongest demon, huh? I grin with excitement. I hold his shoulder and leave him some words. "Uncle, take them away as far as you can. We'll meet later after I deal with this."

"What do you mean? Hey don't tell me that you are going to face Sir Wiln?"

I smile, walking away giving him a wave. "Take care of them."

Macdelver grits his teeth first, at some point he agrees, nods and leaves.

I continue walking. Its chaos here since many are escaping as Wiln is charging up his dark energy. In my entire life as a Holy Knight, I only fought against a low-class demon once and lost.

Judging from this guy's dark mana, he seems to be an Upper Class demon. Those with this class are closest to the Demon King in terms of strength.

The Golden potion gave me a boost of strength as well as centuries of my experience in the dungeon. Let's see how I will fare against an Upper Class Demon as I am now.

As I walk, I step on a pool of blood. Looking below, there is a corpse of someone familiar. I can't believe his body is sliced into half vertically. His left side is missing.

I can still recognize this old man. I stumbled upon him before. He's Garfurd I think, a Knight from the north. I know he is a great warrior and I can't let his death be like this. I grab a blanket and cover his body with it.

I pray as I mourn over his body, letting him pass peacefully to the realm where souls go.

Looking at Wiln, he casts a spell, "Gluttonous Seed!" Demonic carnivorous plant arises from the ground where he stands. It lurches towards the adventurers and swallows them whole one by one.

The carnivous plants expels their blood and bones after they are digested. The scene becomes a bloodfest as they try to fight against the demonic carnivourous plant, but failing to do so. They cannot cut the summoned demonic plants with their blades.

The adventurers are not strong enough to fight a demon I suppose, much less an upper class demon.

One demonic carnivourous plant comes to me, it open its mouth like a clam. I grab the hilt of my blade and unsheath it. "Holy Judgement!" One swing slices the carnivourous plant like butter and the holy slash doesn't stop, it even goes towards Wiln.

Wiln is surprised that the slash reaches to him slicing his body vertically. He groans from the pain as he falls on the ground with blood gushing out of his body.

Huh?! You're kidding is that it?

That was fairly easy?

[Vermil]

Demonic Cataclysm?

Looks like the demon is done casting his spell. There are black marks on his body and he looks more powerful than before. The grass and the land vanishes turning it black as a shadow, as though this look like the surface of a different world.

Shadow spikes rises from the dark ground, elongating and lunges at my direction. I dodge each easily. However, looking around me, the influence of Agravil's ability extends for several meters. It's as wide as our city.

Looks like the land can shape shift into anything he wants and use it for battle.

From the ground, thousands of elongated spikes arises. They then lunge at me in which I manuever, dodging each one by jumping. The moment I land, I quickly leap upward since the dark land area can turn into spikes and pierce my foot.

What an annoying ability. I can't even come close to Agravil since I'm busy trying to dodge these thorns.

Agravil is carried up by a shadow the shape of a giant hand. He snickers seeing my predicament. "You are indeed fast but no one will survive in my territory, the Field of Anguish! Get her!"

The elongated shadowy thorns coalesce into a forest of spikes. They then lurch forward like a serpent into my direction. Since it's going into my direction, I sidestep to evade it. It passes over me. However, I didn't expect that the thorns will grow sideways into my direction. I quickly block it with my Vanquisher blade causing me to get pushed backward, flying into a tree.

I land on a trunk which isn't influenced by Agravil's ability, and stay there for a moment to assess the situation.

Damn it, I can't get close to him while he's inside the territory. I have to find a way to bring him down.

To my surprise, the gem on my Vanquisher Blades glows bright.

My blade reminds me that I can use the ability of its predecessor, but why does it have to remind me now?

Oh yeah, Tharius! I remember he has an important ability.

My attention gets taken when the sleeping werewolves are being held by the shadows in one area. He gathers them in one place and aims his shadowy thorns toward them.

From afar, Minnerva yells from worry. "No! Everyone!" She wants to jump and save them but her sister holds her. "Big sis, don't."

This one is obviously a trap, but I can't just leave it be.

For now, I'll deal with this demon. I aim my spell and cast it, [Black Coffin]!

A portal appears above him, rusty chains and an old coffin shows up from it. The chains secures his arms and legs while he is slowly being put into the coffin.

"Black coffin, huh? I didn't expect you can cast this lost ability. But whatever, as long as you mess up your pose, this spell can be cancelled. Get her!"

The black coffin retracts after I jump to dodge the shadowy thorn, I didn't even finish casting it.

Looks like I won't be able to use it anymore. He probably won't kill them since he plans to use them as a bait. For now I have to dodge each thorns lunging at me.

However, nothing will happen if this goes one. I have to master this ability and go beyond my limits.

This is Tharius ability memorized by my blade, the Vanquisher.

[Instant Movement: Travel between space instantanously. 500 mana points are consumed for every meter of travel]

I'll try using it now to the hostages! [Instant Movement]

In an instant, I appeared close to the hostages in which I was stunned, it takes me a second to react. I quickly scoop them up and use the ability again to go to a distant location far from Agravil.

Looks like I can teleport anywhere I want as long as I went to that place before but using it over long distance repeatedly can drain my mana. Regardless, I have to return back.

Returning to the scene, I use [Aural Stealth] to hide my presence. Agravil is confused as to where I am now. Perhaps, this might be my best move.

"Human! Where the hell are you?!" He is angry as he is looking for me. Finding Minnerva and the others he grins. "If I can't find you then I'll just kill them." The shadowy thorns coalesce to form a cluster of spikes creating something as large as a tower.

"Die!" He yells.

"I won't let you!"

I appear behind him with [Instant Movement] and slash him continuously as quick as I can. He keeps regenerating, but I continually slash him as I whiz around him like a whirlwind in which he yells from anguish. "Ahhh."

"Damn you bitch! You'll-- pay for this!"

His regeneration capabilities are outstanding that he can still catch up even if I'm cutting him up endlessly.

His dark purplish blood ends up being splattered in a bloodfest to the environment.

But by the time he regenerates his arm or leg, I cut it off before he can regrow it. Since this won't end soon, I activate my skill, [Omnipresent-Killer], a strength of my hundred selves slash him up on a blink of an eye. The demon is turns into shreds every part of his flesh.

The Field of Anguish retreats and the grasses and the dirt returns. I sigh after finally defeating the demon, his HP has gone to zero after all.

I end up falling afterward and tripping on the ground with a chuckle.

[Hark]

A demonic crow with three eyes and a horn is staring on Agravil's fight with a human. This crow is under my command and it allows me to watch over everywhere my crows are found.

This is unbelievable to think that Agravil, the third apostle has been slew.

I Hark, the fourth apostle is disturbed by this news. I wish to relay this message to the second but he is busy with the sacrifice.

What the hell is Wiln doing at this time?

Regardless, what the hell is going on? Why is this happening? Is the church finally making a move? They are the only one who have the power to defeat a demon, especially the Saint Guardians who are from the angel race.

[Asthaniel]

Somewhere in the Northern Region of Groundwell Continent.

Inside the meeting room in the Heavenly Peak Palace in the Heaven's District, I called for Libra, the Saint Guardian of the High Justice to come here.

I Asthaniel, as the Head Saint am only second to the Northern Overlord, Lord Jerome in hierarchy and have a duty to manage and look after my precious Saint Guardian children.

Right now, Libra will be heading here soon.

For now, I'm worried about the rumors that in the Eastern Region a new cult have been operating under a new Eastern Overlord. For us, this is unacceptable. Only Lord Jerome is the one and true Overlord.

Normally, we would just send the others to investigate the rumors but the evidence sent to us by the True Hero makes this a serious case. Those naive heroes from the other world have been useful for us for this past few years. We've been using them like tools and it's working.

Just tell them it's for the sake of the people of the land and they will even risk their lives for it. All of this is for us to maintain our power in this continent.