Chapter 439: Proof of Existence (27)

0% Faceless Assailants.

They were the same beings that previously attacked Ria. I recalled hearing that they were unfortunate puppets controlled in body and mind by the Dark Order’s contract magic, robbed of their ability to think or act on their own.

Their appearance was equally grotesque.

Their faces looked like mashed lumps of clay, utterly devoid of any distinct features. Narrow slits served as their eyes, their noses flattened beyond recognition, leaving only faint outlines of nostrils. Without lips, even the borders of their mouths were indistinct.

Several of these horrific creatures had already encircled me and the Saintess, and were now slowly drawing closer.

Where had they even come from?

I hadn’t sensed their presence in the slightest, and this bothered me immensely.

It had been the same with the black-haired woman I met at the Holy Nation’s military encampment–and now with these faceless assailants. Neither gave off the slightest hint of presence, as if they had deliberately erased their existence. It felt as though I were standing alone in the middle of a barren field.

I would have to investigate this issue later.

For now, protecting the Saintess came first. My hand was already gripping the hilt of my sword before I realized it.

My hatchet began to vibrate.

One of the faceless assailants already had its skull shattered. Empowered by the profound principle of Movement within Stillness, the hatchet once again danced through the air.

What surprised me was how, unlike last time, these assailants showed considerable skill.

With a sharp clang, my hatchet was deflected. Given the rapid advancement of my abilities lately, this was a noteworthy feat.

They were at Expert-level–or on par with one at least.

And there wasn’t just one or two displaying this level of competence.

Several daggers traced sinister, intricate arcs through the air.

Though the daggers themselves were cheap junk, the mana infused into them was extraordinary. Imaginary lines began to etch themselves vividly in my vision.

The daggers were clearly aimed at the Saintess.

And there weren’t just daggers.

Every single one of these creatures scaling over the walls was headed straight for her . Even the swordsman who had knocked my hatchet aside ignored me entirely, his gaze fixed solely on her.

Of course, I wasn’t about to stand by and let that happen.

“Where do you think you’re going… you bastard!”

My foot crashed brutally into the flank of the swordsman attempting to rush past me. Without so much as a gasp, the creature rolled several times across the ground, then silently turned its gaze toward me.

At that exact moment, something like a bolt of lightning seemed to strike from above.

It was my spinning hatchet that descended like a waterfall of pure light. Even then, the creature’s skull didn’t instantly shatter, forcing me to repeatedly chop downward, as if splitting stubborn firewood.

Thwack, thwack, thwack.

Amidst these rhythmic blows, I hurled my sword towards the daggers streaking towards the Saintess.

She instinctively ducked down in fright, and my blade narrowly passed above her, elegantly weaving through the air like a brush painting a silvery arc.

It was a technique utilizing the concept of ‘Liberation’.

The daggers, upon touching the misty aura, began to go haywire, colliding with each other. Their mana chaotically dispersed, completely ruining their trajectories. Taking advantage of the opening, I quickly moved closer to the Saintess.

She was just a few steps away, holding her breath, not daring even to scream..

Her inner turmoil was clearly reflected in her trembling, light pink eyes.. Though undoubtedly terrified, she resisted the urge to cry out.

Instead, her gaze held only the desperation of relentless calculation.

Weighing what the best course might be… or how to act in a way that would serve my interests.

She had clearly become accustomed to the battlefield. Previously, she would have screamed at the slightest shock.

I decided to reassure her first.

“Saintess, are you alri– Kuhk?!”

Just then, a fist was suddenly swung towards me with a whoosh.

The assailant who appeared out of nowhere had a body honed by rigorous training. His posture alone indicated he was a skilled fighter from the Holy Nation.

If I dodged now, his elbow would directly crash into the Saintess’s defenseless back.

I couldn’t allow that.

Seizing the attacker’s outstretched arm, I spun and violently slammed him to the ground.

Boom!

The powerful impact caused the creature’s entire body to spasm. Yet, he still stubbornly struggled to get up, forcing me to kick his head with all the strength I could muster.

Crack!–a crisp sound rang out as the assailant finally stopped moving.

Now, that made two.

I quickly scanned my surroundings. Four of the assailants were still alive and moving.

The one wielding daggers was especially troubling..

Opponents who could remotely control their weapons’ trajectories were especially dangerous. All the more so when there was someone I had to protect.

Only now did I truly realize just how hard it is to counter a technique like the ‘principle of movement within stillness.’

At that moment, the Saintess finally broke her silence.

“……They’re far too precise.”

“What?”

I didn’t even have the luxury of processing what she meant. In response to my blank, reflexive question, the Saintess hurriedly pushed herself to her feet.

“Ian, please leave me be for just a moment.”

I nearly asked what she meant by that–but bit down on the question before it slipped out.

The Saintess surely had her own plan.

But I couldn’t fully dismiss my concerns, so my worried gaze lingered on her.

The Saintess was calmly brushing dust off her clothes.

“Hurry. But in exchange, you handle that monster throwing the daggers.”

Her voice carried firm confidence. I eventually gave in with a reluctant groan and turned away.

Trusting one’s companion was also an essential virtue.

Immediately after, the assailants who had been cautiously watching us launched another attack.

More daggers flew through the air, and the remaining three charged straight towards the Saintess.

I rolled across the ground and snatched up my sword from where it had fallen. Then, rising to my feet, I deflected the daggers one after another.

Clang, clang, clang!

Sparks flashed with each collision, sending daggers spinning through the air. As I advanced step by step, I caught one in my off-hand and then hurled it in a blinding arc that split the air wide open.

With a thwack, the creature violently spasmed as the dagger pierced its forehead.

There was only one sure way to stop an enemy who kept throwing weapons–even in death.

With a sharp whoosh, a silver arc sliced cleanly through the storm of daggers, scattering them in all directions.

A severed arm dropped to the ground, thrashing violently. But, without support, there was nothing a lone arm could do.

All it could do was wait–for the other arm to be severed too.

By the time I’d finished dismantling the assailant piece by piece–

“……O’Light!”

A blinding white explosion flashed across my vision, momentarily washing away everything. The warmth it carried, along with the surge of vitality that followed, made it clear–it was Holy Power.

To project Holy Power of this intensity and scale…

No matter how many times I saw it, the sheer amount of Holy Power the Saintess wielded was absurd. Yet the person causing this miraculous display barely seemed fazed at all.

But even more noticeable was how the faceless assailants reacted to it.

KHIEEEEEEEEEEKKKK!

KIEEEEEEEK!

As soon as the monsters touched the Saintess’s Holy Power, they collapsed to the ground, shrieking wildly. Some frantically clawed at their own necks, while others helplessly writhed around like cockroaches sprayed with insecticide.

Their shriveled, dried-out skin began shimmering faintly with golden light. That gentle, peaceful glow filled their bodies from the inside out, burning them as if they’d caught fire.

All this–just from coming into contact with her Holy Power?

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. Holy Power was fundamentally meant for healing. It was certainly powerful , but the damage it could inflict on a living creature should’ve been limited.

Unless, perhaps, they were undead.

Yet the Saintess didn’t show even a hint of surprise. As though fully expecting this outcome, she just calmly walked forward and seized one of the struggling assailants by the collar.

Then, through gritted teeth, she growled,

“……Who are you?”

There was naturally no way a mindless monster could respond. It merely flailed desperately, trying to break free of her grip.

Eventually, unable to hold back my curiosity any longer, I spoke up.

“Saintess, what’s going on here? Why are these monsters reacting this way to your Holy…?”

“They’re being controlled.”

Her reply left me momentarily speechless.

It was such an obvious answer–these beings were fully robbed of their bodies and minds by the Dark Order, after all. Of course, they were being controlled.

But the Saintess wouldn’t have given such a meaningless explanation without reason.

As expected, she soon added more clearly,

“Their movements are far too precise. No matter how sophisticated the spell is, it’s impossible for mindless puppets to move this quickly and accurately. In other words…”

“Someone’s observing?”

Instead of answering, the Saintess kept her lips tightly sealed.

She didn’t have to clarify further. It was obvious who was watching and what they were watching.

The one who created these monsters was spying on us.

At that very moment–

Hehe..

An eerie laugh dug into my ears.

It came from the monster whose collar was still in the Saintess’s grasp.

“Heh, hehe… puaha, ahaha, ahahahahahahaha!”

As if wringing every last breath from its lungs.

The monster cackled wildly, its shriveled head jerking with erratic clicks–thrashing about as if it didn’t care whether it choked or died right then and there.

Its slit-like eyes locked onto me and the Saintess.

“Did I give myself away too easily?”

It was a scene I’d seen somewhere before.

Miriam had emitted a similarly eerie presence when she possessed a test subject.

The Saintess, audibly grinding her teeth, repeated her question.

“……Who the hell are you?”

“Easy now, easy… Is there any need for us to get so worked up already? And what if you did find out who I am?”

The edges of its distorted mouth twisted upward into an eerie, unpleasant grin.

“Could you handle it?”

“I asked who you are!”

At the Saintess’s rare show of agitation, the monster merely shook its head side to side.

Its unsettling gaze lingered on me for a moment before drifting away.

“Don’t be in such a rush. After all, we’ll meet again soon enough.”

“What the hell are you doing with the children? How many spies have you planted in the Holy Nation?!”

“I told you not to rush.”

A crooked, mocking smile formed on its wrinkled face.

Then it uttered its final words.

“You’ll find out soon enough… everything.”

The instant its voice cut off abruptly, the Saintess lost control. Her grip on the creature’s collar tightened as she began violently shaking it.

But there was no response to be had from an empty shell.

I wordlessly placed my hand on the Saintess’ shoulder–a silent signal to stop.

“It’s too late, Saintess.”

“B-But… But, Ian!”

“We’ve already gotten all the information we could.”

Only then did the strength drain from the Saintess’ grip.

Meeting her gaze as she looked up at me, a quiet murmur escaped my lips.

“…Probably.”

All that remained now was a chance to unravel the mystery.

And it came sooner than expected.

One night, an orphan child approached me. The same boy who’d once eyed me warily and asked, ‘Did you come here to take us away too?’

Now, on the verge of tears, he choked out,

“Mister, please help me… The adults are trying to take my sister away.”

The clock hands clicked out a lonely rhythm.

The time was now midnight.

It was time to unveil the secret.