Tap.

Though the footsteps were light, the air instantly grew heavy.

The high priest of the Salvation Order was an old man dressed in a black robe.

He was gaunt and pallid like an invalid, yet the pressure he exuded was enough to crush a mountain range.

Grrrrrraaaargh!

This time, the monsters surged toward the priest. With no black mage left to command them, they could no longer distinguish friend from foe.

“Pitiful little vermin...”

Kwaaaang!

As the priest released his aura, the monsters converging around him were torn apart and vanished.

Even Kyle, who had been confronting him, was forced to stagger back several steps from the sudden shock.

He was clearly exhausted. Though he had gained enlightenment and ascended to the realm of the superhuman, he was in no condition to keep fighting.

Under normal circumstances, he could’ve withstood that kind of light blow—but not now.

The priest observed Kyle closely and spoke.

“So you were hiding your strength all along?”

“......”

“You held back, saving your power until a stronger enemy appeared. And now that you can’t hold out any longer, you’ve shown your true capabilities.”

“......”

“To possess such swordsmanship, and also be able to use magic and spirits... Truly impressive.”

“......”

Kyle didn’t say a word. The man had clearly drawn his own conclusions after seeing Kyle appear just now.

And that was actually a relief. If the priest had shown himself earlier, Kyle would’ve died before even reaching this level.

The priest began slowly circling Kyle, continuing to speak.

“You can’t use that magic anymore, can you? If you could, you would’ve already. Am I wrong?”

“......”

Kyle suppressed the urge to laugh.

He already knew that the Salvation Order was obsessed with conserving their forces.

Through Ismoken, he’d learned just how cautious they were in their operations. Even in the Elven Forest, the Salvation Order wouldn’t have fought unless certain of victory.

But for someone to be this careful even now... He must be especially paranoid.

The priest raised his hand, smirking slyly.

“You seem quite exhausted. Then again, I’d be tired too, after a fight like that.”

Fwaaaaaah—!

Darkness twisted at his fingertips, forming into a sharp spear.

It launched straight at Kyle.

Kwaaaaang!

The massive spear of darkness pierced the ground.

The impact split the earth and sent rocks flying.

“Kh!”

Kyle twisted his body, narrowly rolling aside to avoid the blast.

In his current state, that level of destruction was far too dangerous. He had no choice but to be cautious and minimize the impact.

Seeing this, the priest grinned.

“Yes, yes. You’re definitely worn out.”

Kyle didn’t answer this time either. He silently raised his sword.

The priest was now certain—Kyle was exhausted. His breathing and movements were far from what a superhuman should be capable of.

Yet the priest still didn’t approach.

'There might still be some hidden trick...'

And so, he kept his distance, only releasing bursts of energy to wear Kyle down further.

Boom! Boom! Bwaaaaam!

Kyle couldn’t even get close. He had to keep rolling and dodging to survive.

'Damn it...'

It was good for buying time, but in terms of combat, this was the worst-case scenario.

If he could just get in close, he might find an opening—but the opponent had no intention of allowing that.

This was the most troublesome thing about fighting someone overly cautious. They would never engage until they were absolutely sure of victory.

Against the exhausted Kyle, this was a particularly tough match.

BWAAAANG!

Dozens of dark spells rained down like a storm.

Kyle moved quickly, but dodging them all was impossible.

In the end, he had to block some with his sword.

KWAANG!

A portion of the incoming force was deflected by the intense shockwave. But in his fatigued state, he couldn’t stop the rest.

FWHACK!

A sharp surge of energy pierced Kyle’s shoulder. Another tore through his side.

The sound of flesh ripping and bones shattering echoed at once.

“Guh...!”

Kyle clenched his teeth. Blood burst from his wounds and blurred his vision, but he didn’t stop.

Clinging to consciousness, he pushed forward and charged the priest. In this situation, initiating was the only option.

He launched a flurry of strikes, not giving the priest time to regain composure.

Swish!

The first slash cleaved through empty air. The second shredded the hem of the priest’s robe.

And the third...

Sssshk!

Managed to slice the priest’s body, even if only slightly.

“You bastard!”

Startled, the priest lashed out.

Thunk!

With a dull clang, Kyle’s sword was knocked away.

His strength was gone—he couldn’t hold on. A moment later, the priest thrust his hand forward again.

KWAOOOOOOM!

Dark energy struck Kyle’s body head-on.

'Ah...'

His body flew into the air.

The brutal pain of broken ribs squeezed the breath from his lungs.

He tried to hold on, even for a moment, but he had lost all balance—and he was helplessly hurled back to the ground.

Thud!

“Guh... khk!”

Blood flooded his mouth and sprayed out.

His mana was completely depleted. One arm wouldn’t move—it felt broken. His legs wouldn’t respond. He couldn’t even stand.

His whole body felt heavy. His heart pounded as if it would explode. He couldn’t bend a single finger.

It was only natural. He was in a state where dying would be no surprise.

He had only been able to push this far because of the enlightenment that had brought him to the level of a superhuman.

Now, the priest approached leisurely, grinning. He was certain Kyle had reached his limit.

'...Is this really the end?'

Lying flat on the ground, Kyle felt a crushing sense of despair.

His body had already accepted that he couldn’t move anymore—that this was the end.

The priest raised his hand as he looked down at Kyle.

“I don’t know who you are, but you were truly formidable. If you had commanded an army, it would’ve been terrifying.”

The priest spoke sincerely. A man who could fight like this alone—what could he have done with an army?

It was fortunate he could eliminate such a dangerous figure here and now.

Vwooooooom...

Dark power began gathering in the priest’s hand. He didn’t hold back—he would finish this for good.

Kyle could only watch with dim eyes.

He needed to move, but he had no strength left.

More than anyone, he knew—this was the end.

'Still... I did well.'

Darkness slowly descended over his broken body.

Fatigue pressed down on his eyelids like lead.

Beyond his fading vision, the faint image of dwarf children running away came to mind.

Those small, powerless children... the ones who had been crying... they were alive now.

That was enough.

Then memories of his companions began to drift through his mind.

Julien, Deneb, and Astion—who had been with him since childhood.

The rowdy mercenaries who laughed and fought beside him in bloody battles.

Dark—sharp-tongued and loud, but always by his side.

And then...

“Ghislain.”

The name spilled softly from his lips.

If anyone had led him to this point, it was Ghislain.

Thanks to Ghislain’s efforts, he’d gained the strength to protect others and had finally reached the realm of a superhuman.

How could he not be grateful?

Those memories wrapped around his heart like warmth.

What saddened him was that he would never see them again.

But he had done everything he could. He had given his ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) all.

His body had fallen—but his spirit never broke.

This was not a powerless death.

It was a death that had protected someone.

And that made it enough for Kyle.

'My role... ends here.'

With that thought, he forced a smile.

The priest didn’t like the look on Kyle’s face.

“A man about to die is smiling?”

It felt as though he were being mocked. Begging for his life would’ve been more fitting in his mind.

So the priest drew up even more power. He meant to reduce Kyle to dust—leave not even a corpse behind.

And just as he prepared to strike the final blow—

Fwaaaaaaah...

From afar—like the first light of dawn—

A still and overwhelming force burst forth—more sacred than any energy before it.

“...What is this?”

The priest froze for a moment, lifting his head.

His instincts screamed. This wasn’t ordinary magic. Nor was it typical divine power.

It was something far greater.

And in the instant he hesitated—

A radiant light, like a tidal wave, swept across the battlefield.

KWAHHHHHHHH!

The light surged through like a storm, consuming everything in its path.

The dark energy the priest had been condensing shattered the moment it touched that light.

“GRAAAAAAGH!”

His body ignited, engulfed by sacred flames.

At the same time, Kyle’s eyes slowly fluttered open.

'...This is...'

A faint smile spread across his bloodied face.

'Deneb.'

He knew instinctively.

This was Deneb’s divine power.

That warm, all-embracing divinity—he had only ever felt it from her.

'You... did it too, huh.'

He didn’t know how or why. But there was no mistaking it—something miraculous had happened, and Deneb had reached it.

And that made him proud. So very proud.

Kyle embraced the pain weighing down his body once more.

His bones screamed in protest, but he could move—just a little.

The divine power that had swept by had partially healed his wounds and breathed new vitality into him.

“Ggh...”

Kyle clenched his teeth and pushed strength into his trembling arm.

His mana was still depleted, but the fact he could move again was what mattered.

As he gasped for breath, a faint grin formed on his lips.

“Hey. Let’s go one more round. I’ve got one last thing to show you.”

“You little...!”

The priest glared at Kyle with a twisted expression.

The pain had only lasted a moment, but it had been searing. A vast amount of energy had been burned away.

He had no idea why divine power had suddenly swept over this area.

'It came from the direction of Vallscrum’s center. Something’s happening there...'

That was where the two Prophets were fighting. They shouldn’t have failed.

And yet, this overwhelming divine energy made his heart uneasy.

'I need to kill him quickly and check it myself.'

Only then could he decide—flee or continue fighting.

“Die!”

The priest drew forth his power and charged at Kyle.

The man had already exhausted all his strength. He was only moving now thanks to a fleeting miracle.

So the priest aimed to crush his skull and make absolutely sure no further miracles could occur.

FWASH!

Just as the priest’s hand shot out, Kyle instinctively ducked.

But he couldn’t dodge completely.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!

The black energy slashed across his back like lightning, tearing chunks of flesh away.

Kyle endured the pain and gripped his sword tightly with both hands.

There was no way he could continue fighting. He had neither stamina nor mana left.

So this one strike had to land a fatal blow.

'This will be... my final attack.'

He twisted his body and raised his sword.

The rotation began at his toes and rippled up through his waist and shoulders.

Drrrrrrr!

His mana was gone. The sword was just a plain blade. But Kyle didn’t care.

— It’s not just about using mana. You have to sense the flow of the world. If you follow that flow, you can cut through anything.

Ghislain always used to say that.

Back then, Kyle hadn’t understood what he meant. Even now, he didn’t fully grasp it.

But it felt like—just faintly—he could see it now.

The texture of the world brushed against his fingertips.

And to cut through it, one blade was enough.

FWAAAAASH!

Kyle’s sword soared in an arc from the ground up toward the heavens.

This wasn’t just a slash. It was a desperate, all-consuming strike that contained every ounce of will and despair he had endured until now.

“GRAAAAAAGH!”

The priest screamed in agony, staggering backward with a long gash across his body.

But more than the pain—it was the impossible reality that shocked him.

“H-How... with no mana...?”

A plain sword with no mana had sliced through a superhuman body. It defied everything he knew.

Even if he had been weakened by divine power, this should not have been possible.

A sword technique he couldn’t understand. A resolve he couldn’t understand. A situation he couldn’t understand.

All of it approached the priest as pure terror.

FWOOOOOSH!

Black smoke poured from his open wound.

The priest clutched it tightly. Under normal circumstances, it would’ve healed in moments, but the divine power lingering in the strike was preventing it.

“Ghrrr...”

Bloodshot eyes fixed on Kyle.

How could a dying man still be standing, still fighting?

Even now, he was staggering—but holding his sword.

The priest ground his teeth. His condition wasn’t perfect either, but he was still in far better shape. One more blow—he could kill him.

Just as he tried to gather strength for another strike—

BOOM!

Light exploded from the sky.

The priest lifted his head in confusion—and his eyes widened.

From within that light, a figure shot down like lightning.

KWAANG!

A hand slammed into the priest’s neck, driving his entire body straight into the ground.

DRRRRRRRRRRRK!

With a deafening crack, the earth split open as the priest’s body was ground into it.

He had no chance to resist. The sheer force and speed pinned him down and dragged him across the ground.

“GRAAAAAAAH!”

The priest screamed. He didn’t even know who had hit him—all he could do was endure the searing pain in his neck, as if it had snapped.

When he barely regained his senses, he saw the man pressing down on his throat.

The one who had fallen from the sky—Ghislain—looked down at him with a cold expression and spoke.

“Is it fun? Picking on someone weaker than you?”

“Wh-Who...?”

The priest blinked in stunned confusion.

He had no idea who was being called the “weaker one” right now.