Taming the Evil Saintess

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Scritch!

Clang!

I swing my sword again and again.

I couldn’t be sure how many times I had swung it.

But I kept swinging until the assassins in front of me were panting with exhaustion.

“A monstrous guy…”

I heard one of them mutter.

I agreed.

The combination of the Holy Sword and the Hero’s Divine Mark was truly outrageous.

No need to control my strength. The physical limits were infinitely raised by the Hero’s Divine Mark, and the Holy Sword was crafted by Olmen with sheer will. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it the best sword on the continent.

However, no matter how strong I was alone, they were a group. A well-trained pack of assassins. They wouldn’t flinch even if their comrade fell.

“Kuh.”

Poison-laden daggers flew, and a dagger rushed from behind. With poison mixed in, I had to concentrate fully to avoid getting cut.

A few grazes really did happen. And unlike with my respiratory system, the poison seeping through my wounds was slowly making my body heavy.

Yet, I remained standing simply because the Hero’s Divine Mark was holding my body together.

Thud.

A dagger sank into my shoulder. It was an unavoidable path, so I sacrificed my shoulder instead of my heart.

But I was determined to retaliate.

Gah!

I thrust my fist into the gut of the guy who had stabbed me with the dagger. He seemed to be trying to protect himself with mana, but if I struck with overwhelming physical force, it became a different story.

Splat. I created the world’s largest donut. A thrilling sensation jolted through my brain.

“…”

No, it was just my vision shaking.

I had lost a lot of blood due to the wounds, and the poison had seeped into my body in proportion.

I could barely stand on my two feet. I staggered, bleeding black blood.

Those little shits calling themselves the Shadow of God are using poison. The goddess would surely sigh in despair.

“…You should stop there.”

The one who looked like the leader stepped forward.

In his grip was Ophelia’s face.

He must have overpowered Ophelia while I was distracted for just a moment.

“Let her go! You bastard!”

“I’m afraid you’ll need to bear with it a little longer. I am Benedict. As a cleric serving the same god, I wish to respect the Saintess’s will, but in a situation like this, the will of His Highness takes precedence. I will explain it all later…”

“Fuck off! I’m not letting her go?! I remember your face. I will tear you apart!”

“…Hah.”

Ophelia poured out curses and writhed, but the leader, Benedict, stood firm in his convictions.

I took a deep breath and lifted my sword.

“You cowardly zealots.”

“That statement is a bit misguided, Knight Elliot. We are the Shadows of God. Even if the brook in front of us is tainted, someone has to take the plunge. We are merely a necessary evil.”

“Try saying that to God.”

“Sins can be washed away in confession. However, the blasphemy you’ve committed cannot be cleansed.”

Pure fanatic words.

Indeed, the Cathedral is filled with lunatics.

Benedict took a step forward. Ophelia’s limbs hung limply. It seemed the paralysis poison was spreading.

“If you surrender, we won’t lay a hand on the Saintess.”

“Can you even touch the Saintess?”

“…”

“Go ahead. You’ll see your divine punishment.”

“Knight Elliot, it seems you’re having trouble understanding the current situation.”

Benedict snapped his fingers, and the poisonous energy around him intensified.

I could no longer endure and knelt on one knee. Blood flowed from my mouth, dark as night.

“It’s extreme poison that can even kill demons. It has likely spread throughout your body by now. If this goes on, you will definitely die. Resisting will only cause the poison to spread faster.”

“So what, are you saying you’ll give me the antidote if I surrender?”

“I was thinking that. To be precise, I was thinking that.”

Benedict continued with a cold gaze.

“Knight Elliot, you must die here.”

“What?”

I frowned.

“I originally intended to capture both of you and return to the Cathedral, but my mind has changed. Knight Elliot, you pose a danger.”

“…”

“You would surely become a great threat to the Cathedral. That sprout needs to be cut.”

After all, I had faced off against seven Shadows of God and killed three of them.

What I achieved was impossible for a mere Cathedral Knight.

“Stop that!”

Ophelia urgently interjected.

Her face was twisted in distress.

“I-I will cooperate! Don’t kill Elliot! You can’t do this! I’m begging you!”

“…Hmph.”

Benedict sighed lightly after looking at Ophelia and me.

“I’m sorry, Saintess. That doesn’t seem like a fair negotiation for either side.”

“D-Don’t kill him! Please, I’m begging you! No, this is an order! A Saintess’s order! It’s a revelation from God!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Ah, ah…”

Ophelia shook her head, her pale face contrasting heavily.

Benedict slowly drew his sword, stepping closer to me.

Can I wave my sword to defend myself? The duration of the Mark is nearly at its end, and above all, the poison coursing through my body holds me down. My body feels as heavy as lead.

“…T-That’s enough.”

Now I see Ophelia, almost begging as she cries.

“Ophelia.”

As I called her name, tears fell from her large eyes.

As fierce as a warrior, she was a Saintess with a troubled heart.

I stuck my tongue out slightly.

“Stop posturing. It doesn’t suit you.”

“…”

“It’s okay. Everything will be fine.”

I wasn’t entirely without confidence.

I couldn’t fight, but my enhanced senses remained intact.

He might not have noticed, but I had spotted two pairs of eyes watching from the edge of the forest.

“Well then, do you have any last words?”

“None.”

“Really? Then, farewell.”

Benedict raised his sword.

And in the next moment.

Scritch.

Of course, it wasn’t the sound of my neck being severed.

A flash of blue light sliced through the air before me.

Benedict’s bangs got chopped off in a bunch, shaking wildly.