Hero Route 2

"Divine Punishment."

The words fell from Anyi's lips, cold and resolute, as his blade descended with unstoppable force—

"Boom——!!!"

The greatsword, radiant with holy golden light, cleaved through the air. Its luminous trail lingered like a comet's wake before slamming into the already fractured nape of the Skeleton Executioner.

The moment the blade struck, an overwhelming surge of holy Prana coursed through the creature's corrupted form. The golden radiance infiltrated its body, pouring through the blade and seeping outward, illuminating the dark gaps in its armor.

"Crack—!

Crack! Crack!!"

A symphony of destruction filled the air as fissures crawled across the Skeleton Executioner's neck, spidering outward. Each crack spilled golden light, as though the cursed armor itself rebelled against the darkness within.

"Bang!"

With a deafening explosion, the thick black armor crumbled, disintegrating into swirling black mist. The skull, untouched by the blade but now left vulnerable, fractured with a resounding crack. It toppled to the ground, its impact raising a plume of ash.

Before Ariana could channel a spell to finish it, the skull erupted in a radiant burst of golden light, shattering into countless motes of brilliance. They danced momentarily before fading into the ether.

In tandem, the Executioner's massive frame dissolved, its corrupted essence unraveling. Even the formidable black axe Layton had struggled to block vanished in the divine conflagration.

The golden light subsided, and the battlefield was silent, leaving only fine, drifting ashes.

[Creature: Skeleton Executioner

Cursed soldiers encased in undead mana armor. Their bodies were consumed by the curse, their bones grotesquely transformed. Their souls, bound within the armor, were condemned to eternal unrest.]

Anyi's strike had delivered more than a killing blow—it had severed the chains of the curse, releasing the tormented soul from its prison. All traces of the darkness were purified, leaving behind the dust of an existence that should have been laid to rest long ago.

Across the battlefield, the Skeleton Mage stood frozen in shock.

The Skeleton Executioner… gone?

Its hollow sockets widened as it processed the impossible. Barely ten seconds had passed since the Howling Succubus had fallen! And now, the strongest warriors of their ranks—the Executioner and the Succubus—had been utterly erased!

Panic gripped the mage. Without hesitation, it turned to flee, its twisted sense of self-preservation overriding any thoughts of vengeance.

Its skeletal head, wreathed in ghostly blue flames, detached from its body and soared through the air, desperate to escape.

"Boom!"

Behind it, another explosion rang out, golden light bursting across the battlefield. The Skeleton Knight's form collapsed into nothingness, the holy energy purging its corruption.

The mage's head jolted forward faster. Good thing I ran fast!

「I must deliver this information to Master!」

The flame-engulfed skull streaked across the sky, fleeing the battlefield and the purifying wrath of the golden light.

...

Not only was the Skeleton Mage stunned, but the others were equally baffled by what they had just witnessed.

"I didn't use Holy Light Embodiment!" Ariana exclaimed as she rushed over to Anyi, her voice laced with disbelief.

"But it looked exactly like Holy Light Embodiment! There was golden light! Did you… steal my skill, Anyi?"

Anyi responded with a nonchalant shrug. "Probably."

Ariana narrowed her eyes but quickly waved the thought aside. "No… that's not the point! The important thing is how you did it!" Her curiosity was insatiable.

"It's simple," Anyi replied, his tone calm as always. "Just remember the feeling of Holy Light Embodiment and adjust your body to mimic that state."

Ariana froze, blinking in confusion. "…?"

Karen tilted her head, equally puzzled. "…?"

Layton furrowed his brow, utterly lost. "???"

Meanwhile, Miruku quietly busied herself clearing away the remaining skeleton soldiers, sparing herself the mental gymnastics.

In truth, Anyi was deceiving them.

Holy-type skills weren't something he could access at this stage. In his previous life, during the early and mid-game, he had defeated countless undead by targeting their soul fires—until he eventually acquired the Holy Sword.

The Holy Sword was the key to unlocking holy-type abilities. Its power was unmatched, as evident in Ariana's abilities. But the sword itself lay sealed deep within a monster's lair. Even in his past life, Anyi had only obtained it in the late mid-game.

In short, holy-type skills were far beyond his current reach. There was no need to dwell on the matter further.

Back in the present, the remaining eight ghosts, their morale shattered, scattered across the battlefield. Karen's sharp gaze tracked them relentlessly.

Cornered by her keen perception, the ghosts couldn't hide or attempt an ambush. Meanwhile, Miruku systematically eliminated the lingering skeleton soldiers, ensuring no threat remained.

Afterward, the group gathered for a brief rest.

"We haven't reclaimed the castle yet. Is it because we let the Skeleton Mage escape?" Karen asked, sitting cross-legged on the ground, her tone reflective.

Through her ability, she had watched the Skeleton Mage's head fleeing the scene with comical urgency.

"Sorry, I couldn't stop it…" Ariana murmured apologetically.

Karen immediately shook her head. "No, no, no, it's not your fault, Holy Maiden-sama. The Skeleton Mage must have sensed the danger and fled early."

"I think even if we had killed the Skeleton Mage, we still wouldn't have reclaimed the castle," Anyi said, leaning back against a crumbling pillar.

Layton considered this, his exhaustion creeping in. "So… does that mean we have to clean up all the skeleton soldiers?"

"No," Anyi replied firmly. "We encountered Class 4 monsters here. There's no way a Class 3 monster could control them. Think about it—have you ever seen a Goblin Shaman controlling a Goblin Centurion?"

"That… probably not," Layton admitted after a moment's thought.

Karen's expression grew serious. "Ah… so what you're saying is… we might be dealing with a Class 5 monster or higher?"

The group fell silent.

"Class 5 monsters… can we even handle one?" Ariana's voice wavered slightly.

"Of course we can!" Layton sprang to his feet, his eyes blazing with determination.

"We just took down Class 4 monsters with ease, didn't we? Our attributes are superior! Doesn't that prove Class 5 monsters aren't as scary as they sound?"

Karen nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think Mr. Layton is right. Even if the enemy's attributes exceed 30, we're strong enough to hold our own. And if worst comes to worst, we have the Goblin series equipment and Encourage to close the gap."

Despite her agreement, Karen let out a wry laugh. "Still… I can't shake the feeling that, even though I invested in warrior attributes, I haven't really done anything… warrior-like." Her gray-white eyes stared off into the distance, reflecting her frustration.

Throughout their journey, she had been little more than a mobile information repository. A "walking encyclopedia," as she put it, stuck on the sidelines.

"It's fine!" Ariana said with an encouraging smile. "There'll be plenty of chances to fight in the future! Look at Miruku—she only had 1 point in Strength, and yet she protected us this time!"

Miruku, who was huddled nearby, trembled slightly. She buried her face in her knees, her voice barely audible. "I… I just did what I could…"

She truly felt her contributions were insignificant. She hadn't hidden, that was all. Just standing her ground felt ordinary, unworthy of recognition.

"Doing what you could is already amazing!" Ariana said with infectious enthusiasm. "What you think is small, Miruku, actually saved our lives!"

Miruku's face burned crimson beneath her hair. "Ah… ah… is that so… ah…" she stammered, the corner of her mouth twitching upward in a shy, awkward smile.