[Proofreader - Gun]
The achromatic ray fired by Tesila poured down on Cardion.
Seeing this, the opponent hurriedly raised one arm, but.
[Too late.]
Along with Tesila’s voice, which sounded like a death sentence.
Cardion’s upper body vanished without a trace.
[Phew, fortunately, that body isn't tough enough to withstand my attack.]
The moment Tesila let out a faint sigh of relief after defeating the entity that had been shaking up the tide of the battlefield.
Cardion’s lower body, having lost its upper half, suddenly began to move.
[Wh-what...!]
Flap, flap!
The giant tail whipped the water current and surged toward Tesila.
The moment everyone panicked at that bizarre sight, Oscar stepped in front of her.
[Spatial Slash]
The lower body, which had been swimming through the deep sea, dodged the blade of space this time as well.
‘It dodged again?’
The moment Oscar furrowed his brow at the successive evasions.
The lower body, having arrived right in front of him, raised a tidal wave.
While holding his ground so as not to be swept away by the rough current.
Cardion, having perfectly regenerated his upper body in an instant, reached out his grasp.
Even though he allowed the distance to be closed, he had no intention of letting himself be grabbed by the collar.
As soon as Oscar summoned the wind to snap that wrist, Cardion’s massive body spun in a flash, and his thick tail whipped him.
Booooom!
He blocked it with both arms, but Oscar’s body was instantly pushed backward.
He glanced at his throbbing arms.
‘To think it’s at this level even when I reinforced them with mana....’
A level where, quite literally, his entire body was no different from a weapon.
[...Such ridiculous regenerative power.]
[Are the wraiths of the past truly going to swallow the kingdom’s future?]
To make matters worse.
At the overwhelming martial prowess shown by Cardion, the morale of the allied forces began to plummet.
This was not a good sign.
‘If even the Former King joins the battle here....’
This atmosphere would become uncontrollable.
Oscar shouted.
[Ms. Tesila! Prepare the second interception immediately!]
[I need time to cool down the heat in my magic circuits! Hold out until then!]
Glancing at her confidently shouting, he nodded his head.
At the same time, his mind spun rapidly.
‘Tesila’s magic is working effectively enough. The problem is... that regenerative power.’
Cardion’s overwhelming regenerative power was nullifying her firepower.
The problem was not knowing how many more times he could recover in the future.
Oscar asked King Sano.
[Is there no way to stop that regeneration?]
[There isn't! However, if he can't absorb the surrounding seawater, his regeneration speed will slow down explosively!]
The moment he heard those words, the memory of when he parted the sea flashed by.
Because the wraiths that had fallen from the ship had been buried in the floor of the deep sea and couldn't get up for a long time.
It was then.
[Waaaaaah!]
Oscar’s gaze turned at the cheers that suddenly rang out from the middle of the battlefield.
An old man there raised one hand high and shouted.
[T-The wraith is dead!]
‘The wraith died? That can't be.’
Oscar’s eyes were filled with disbelief.
And rightly so, because those corrupted merfolk wouldn't die through normal means.
The only way was to eliminate them without leaving even a speck of flesh, using something on the level of Tesila’s Magic Piercing Cannon.
‘And yet....’
In reality, the wraith pierced by the trident lying at the old man's feet was slowly turning to ash and scattering.
At the time Oscar and Tesila were facing Cardion.
A fierce battle was also continuing in the main unit.
[The right side is breached!]
[Block them! Don't let a single one inside!]
[Ugh! We lack support troops! Hold them off with the personnel we have now!]
The wraiths stood back up even when their flesh was cut, their bodies pierced, and crushed.
On the other hand, the citizens of Atlanta were different.
Because once they lost an arm, they couldn't hold a weapon, and if their hearts were pierced, they could never get back up again.
As time passed, the shields making up the battle line decreased one by one.
Sidden, who had participated in the war at a late age, bit his lip every time a comrade fell.
Because the only thing he could do was grip a rusty harpoon with his wrinkled hands.
[H-Heugh! Save me!]
At that moment, a wraith that had dug into a gap in the battle line tried to bite into the nape of a shieldbearer’s neck.
[You bastard! Stop!]
The rusty harpoon Sidden hurriedly thrust pierced the wraith’s chest.
However, the wraith didn't stop.
Ignoring the harpoon penetrating its chest, it only thrust its head forward.
[Hwaaaagh!]
The moment the wraith’s rotten teeth were about to sink into the shieldbearer’s nape.
[Wicked one, step back!]
A palm emitting golden light struck the wraith’s forehead.
Baaang!
Struck by the divine power of Eddie, who had arrived late, the wraith rolled on the ground.
Just like last time, the movement of the entity hit by the divine power noticeably slowed down.
‘The foundation of the power used by the corrupted merfolk must be Demon King Belpher's mana. Perhaps....’
Might there be a reason they react so sensitively to divine power in particular?
The moment a question entered Eddie’s mind.
A rusty harpoon pierced through that wraith’s head.
Following a shiver, the wraith’s body, which had been vibrating finely, went limp.
[...I-It died.]
[Didn't those bastards have immortal bodies that endlessly regenerate?]
The moment the surrounding merfolk began to murmur.
Sidden, who had thrust the harpoon, raised one arm high.
[T-The wraith is dead!]
At the same time, the wraith’s body turned to ash and scattered.
The atmosphere among the merfolk who saw this scene surged for the first time.
[Just because it's them doesn't mean they can't die!]
[Divine power! The human cleric's divine power is the key to killing them!]
Once the method to vanquish the ordinary wraiths was discovered, the allies' morale skyrocketed in an instant.
Eddie, having figured out the answer, also dropped to both knees on the deep-sea floor and offered a prayer.
[El Sia. Goddess, please grant me the strength to stand against the wicked army!]
Centered on him, a golden radiance spread out like a wave.
A faint divine power imbued the weapons of the merfolk touched by the light.
Eddie struggled to shout as he looked at the sight.
[Urgh, I can't maintain it for long! Push them back now!]
[Did you hear him!]
The captain of the guard raised his golden-tinged trident high and shouted.
[Right now, those bastards can die too! Entire army, attack!]
[Uwoooooah!]
The merfolk, who had been submerged in despair, opened their shields in unison and dashed forward.
The weapons imbued with divine power pierced the heads and hearts of the wraiths.
This time, the wounds did not heal.
The wraiths could neither reattach their severed arms nor regenerate their pierced hearts.
[It's working!]
[They're disappearing!]
[More! Push them back more!]
The merfolk’s all-out offensive, borrowing the power of the divine, saw the light for only a brief moment.
Fshhh.
The golden aura imbued in the weapons began to vanish one by one.
[H-Hey there! Please cast that aura on our weapons once more!]
The merfolk’s counterattack, which had been pushing back the wraith army, didn't even last 5 minutes.
Eddie, breathing heavily, groaned with a completely pale face.
[I am sorry. With the power granted to me, I can no longer maintain the divine power....]
Once the divine power vanished, the wraiths once again had nothing holding them back.
Those who had been driven to the brink of death regenerated their bodies once more, and the front line that had been pushing forward was reversed.
[They're getting back up!]
[Step back and get into formation! Shieldbearers to the front!]
As the atmosphere that had boiled up once quickly cooled down, the situation became even worse than before.
To make matters worse.
[Proofreader - Gun]
A twisted groan leaked from the mouth of King Sano, who had been commanding the battlefield without rest.
[...Father.]
The merman who had crossed the main gate of Atlanta.
The Former King, wearing worn but luxurious clothing, finally revealed himself on the battlefield.
The one who had once loved this country so dearly had now crossed the gates to sever its lineage.
Eddie, watching that sight from behind, dropped his head deeply.
‘If only I had a little more power.’
It would have been great if he could have blessed them with divine power for 10 more minutes, no, even just 5 more minutes.
Eddie clasped his hands together and prayed desperately.
‘Please, grant me the power to help them.’
However, the Goddess did not answer his prayer.
The moment tears welled up in the eyes of Eddie, who bit his lip tightly at this.
Whooooosh!
Suddenly, a streak of golden radiance swept across the battlefield.
[I-It's the golden aura!]
[Mr. Human Cleric! You can do it if you try!]
[Do not retreat! We must capitalize on this chance!]
The morale, which had been falling by the second, successfully rebounded.
The citizens of Atlanta, as if this was their very last chance, clenched their teeth and swung their weapons like mad.
Eddie Barton himself, however, stared in bewilderment at the merfolk clapping his shoulder for a job well done as they passed by.
Did his desperate prayer truly reach God?
No, even if others didn't know, he himself knew for sure.
That his prayer had not reached, and this divine power was not his own.
‘Then who on earth...?’
Even as he looked around the battlefield, there was no one in sight to explain this situation.
In the end, Eddie squeezed his eyes shut and offered a prayer.
Because for now, he could only describe this situation as a miracle.
Divine power.
The moment he realized that was the key to obstructing that immortal legion.
Oscar drew up his divinity and scattered it across the battlefield.
In the process, he had no intention of deliberately revealing the fact that he was a saint.
‘Since it’s a fact that only a few within the Order know anyway....’
A miracle or two like this was indispensable in a tale of adventure.
Oscar shouted while pressing down on Cardion with wind dyed in gold.
[Ms. Tesila! Hurry!]
[I'm preparing it! It'll be done soon!]
Tesila, who had almost finished chanting for the second Magic Piercing Cannon, cried out.
[Dodge!]
Feeling the immense mana pouring toward the back of his head.
Oscar, who had been holding onto Cardion until that very moment, escaped the spot through Blink.
Vwoooooom!
Hit by the Magic Piercing Cannon, Cardion’s upper body vanished without a trace this time as well.
The difference from earlier was that his lower body, enveloped in divine power, was turning into ash and slowly scattering.
[The enemy commander is defeated!]
Simultaneously with Tesila’s vigorous shout, the morale of the allies also skyrocketed vertically.
Because Cardion was the one who boasted the strongest martial prowess in the wraith legion.
[The general has fallen!]
[Push them! Wipe them out utilizing this chance!]
[Waaaaaah!]
The wraith army, having lost their general, quickly crumbled.
The citizens of Atlanta raised their momentum and surrounded them.
From overhead, from the floor, and from the sides.
Golden weapons pierced through the wraiths without rest.
When finally the last wraith turned to ash and scattered.
Only the Former King remained on the battlefield.
[...Father.]
Sano called out to him with a trembling voice.
[You returned just as you promised.]
The Former King’s body came to an abrupt halt.
He slowly looked around the kingdom he had once ruled.
The worn-out palace, the corals that had lost their light.
And even the subjects pointing their rusty weapons at him.
The kingdom he had protected by risking his life over 800 years ago still remained there.
The Former King’s gaze finally landed on Sano.
He slowly reached out his hand.
[It's dangerous, Your Majesty!]
The captain of the guard blocked the front, but Sano restrained him.
[It's fine.]
[But....]
[Let us wait and see what he intends to do. Ms. Tesila.]
[Yes, I was preparing for it anyway.]
After the second bombardment, Tesila, who had been cooling down her magic circuits, revealed herself.
With her finger pointed at the Former King, she was fully prepared to fire an achromatic ray at any moment.
[Just give me the signal, and I can fire at any time.]
At Tesila’s words, King Sano stared at the Former King with her eyes wide open.
At this, the Former King’s black, rotting fingertips approached Sano’s face.
The corruption flowing from his fingertips dyed the surrounding seawater black.
However, that hand stopped right in front of Sano’s cheek.
Looking at his own hand, the Former King ultimately could not bring himself to touch his daughter and withdrew it.
Swallowing her tears as she watched that sight, Sano slowly opened her mouth.
[...Rest in peace. Father.]
The Former King showed no movement and slowly closed his eyes.
At the same time, a streak of mana cut across the battlefield.
The Former King, who had returned to his kingdom after a whopping 800 years, did not reject that mana but accepted it.
Soon, as the ray disappeared, the black aura that had filled the battlefield could no longer be seen either.
After a long silence, King Sano slowly bowed her head toward the spot where the Former King had been.
[Welcome... back, and....]
In the end, the tears flowing from her eyes quickly mixed with the seawater and vanished.
[Sleep well, Father.]
[Proofreader - Gun]

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