Chapter 31 – Witch Hunt (6)

Velloc swung his sword without even waiting. There was no need for the guy to thrust his head or anything.

Crash!

The ridiculous greatsword crushed the strange man’s torso. Not stopping there, it also smashed part of the church’s entrance.

Red bricks fell in heaps over the corpse of the strange man, which had become a mush.

Adel and Cara blinked their eyes before they knew it. They were definitely prepared. Yet, he was fast.

It was literally in the blink of an eye. That meaning included both the strange man’s movement and Velloc’s greatsword.

Velloc stepped back slightly, holding his greatsword forward threateningly.

“Get a grip.”

“Yes!”

Adel shook her head, and Cara also nodded. Soon, the three looked at the hand of the strange man poking out from between the bricks.

Wiggle, wiggle.

The flesh convulsed intermittently. As if in contrast to the darkness inside the church, wax-like white skin and sharp fingernails were glimpsed.

The dirty clerical robes covering it allowed them to guess the identity of the strange man.

Cara muttered.

“A terrible piece of skin… my guess is right on target.”

“Does that mean?”

“It looks like a ghoul. No, it is a ghoul. I’m certain. Moreover, that energy flowing from inside… is unusual.”

“It means this is already the bastard’s lair.”

Nodding his head, Velloc gripped his greatsword in a reverse grip and drove it down. Then, the ghoul that was wriggling beneath the bricks stopped moving.

A monk turned undead. ‘Not bad experience points.’ Smiling slightly and finishing his silent tribute to the deceased, Velloc raised his greatsword.

His gaze turned toward the messy church interior again. Still, nothing was visible. It was as if a dark paint had been dissolved, leaving no contrast between objects.

‘Is it some kind of barrier?’

Just as Velloc was wondering,

an anomaly occurred. Red light flashed in the darkness. At first, it was one. But as the number gradually increased, eventually, dozens of pairs of pupils were staring at Velloc’s group.

Sounds of crawling on the floor, like *clatter* or *skitter*.

The sound of Cara chanting a spell also mixed in. Her pupils also radiated light.

“Move, Velloc! I will light up the front!”

His back felt warm. Velloc backed away and glanced at Cara.

A fireball was blazing at the tip of her staff.

The one that was the size of a human head grew larger and larger, finally becoming the size of a torso. Sweat trickled down his face from the heat felt.

‘At this level, it’s not just lighting up the front. Isn’t she trying to just burn everything?’ Whether Velloc was impressed or not, Cara threw the fireball.

Soon, the brick building spat out massive flames along with a roar.

Fwoosh!

In an instant, the front flashed, and the darkness inside retreated. Only then could the group properly examine the sights inside.

Such as broken dishes and chapel pews.

Or the statue of the Goddess that had lost its original color from blood stains and looked only black.

And things like a horde of ghouls covering their eyes while showing their torn gums.

Of course, they were also wearing dirty clerical robes.

“Kieeeek!”

The ghouls who had been monks or priests wailed in the fire devouring their bodies. Soon, chattering their teeth and crouching, the monsters began to spring toward Velloc’s group.

It was a four-legged run using all their arms and legs. Furthermore, they did not necessarily stick to the floor. They climbed columns like ants or crawled through the ceiling.

‘Burning a church. It is blasphemy. I wonder if I will be cursed by the Goddess.’

Having thoughts like that, Velloc stood firmly at the entrance of the church. Since they were coming out on their own.

He didn’t need to risk entering. ‘Magic is indeed convenient.’ Velloc, holding his sword with both hands and taking a stance, said a word.

“It’s best to keep your distance from me if possible. You might get caught up in it for no reason.”

It was a warning to Cara, who had newly joined. Perhaps she also didn’t want to be sliced by such a ridiculous piece of iron, she nodded immediately and stepped back.

“Then I will cover you using spells. Ah. By any chance, could the squire lady protect me?”

The last words were directed at Adel.

The red witch’s gaze turned toward her. Adel’s black eyes met the witch’s brown eyes. ‘Something is displeasing.’

Adel, frowning slightly, asked Velloc,

“What should we do?”

“Please, Adel.”

“I will follow your command.”

Cara and Adel stepped away from the church building a bit. Soon, the two prepared for battle, their backs against the iron fence behind them.

Cara was chanting a spell again, and Adel stood guard in front of her. Meanwhile, Velloc welcomed the first monster.

“Kieeeek!”

From inside the burning building, the ghoul that was crawling *skitter-skitter* on the floor leaped high.

As if a frog were pouncing, the hideous creature rushed to cover Velloc. Velloc, who was prepared, quickly swung his sword.

Slash!

Splitting from the crown of its head to its groin at once, the ghoul rolled on the floor.

Leaving behind the sensation of slicing through it—as if cutting through hard wax,

and stirring sticky starch syrup—he swung his sword again. This time, the one whose upper and lower bodies were severed was flung outward.

After that was a repetition of the same tasks. Piercing and ripping the belly open, striking the guy with the pommel and then slamming down on the dazed creature.

Whether rotten blood splashed on his face or not, Velloc smirked. Because despite their noisy appearance, their intelligence was not as high as he had thought.

He was just standing at the entrance, simply slicing them one by one as they pounced.

Perhaps, the speaking ghoul they first encountered had been special. ‘This will end easily. By the way, where is the Bishop?’ At that moment,

Shatter!

The sound of a window shattering was heard.

“Master Velloc! Above you!”

At Adel’s scream-like shout, Velloc raised his head. Through the broken stained glass, a ghoul was falling while flailing its arms.

To make matters worse, another ghoul was pouncing from the front. However, Velloc was not flustered. He did not back down either.

He just took a deep breath and raised the greatsword in his hand to the top of his head. His legs spread wide, and his arms supporting the weight of the greatsword trembled.

The gray pupils of the ghouls drew closer and closer. The smell of their rotten flesh stimulated Velloc’s nose. Just as the claws of the two ghouls were about to tear Velloc apart,

the knight drove his sword down.

Slash!

Light flashed, and the ghoul that pounced from above was split in two. Soon, the greatsword, without losing its power, also split the body of the ghoul pouncing from the front.

In heaps. Receiving the falling flesh and entrails from the air directly, Velloc let out a sigh.

Shaking his head slightly, Velloc backed away, retreating to where Adel and Cara were.

Shatter!

Because the church windows here and there shattered, and ghouls poured out. Once Velloc left the entrance he was blocking, the situation grew worse.

The creatures swarmed from all directions, including the entrance. The yard thudded. At this rate, they were about to be surrounded.

He was fine, but the other two were the problem. Perhaps they could be swept away by the wave of monsters.

‘Should I first retreat the two and fight alone?’

It was when Velloc was pondering. Cara muttered.

“Leave the entrance to me, and you guys take care of the ones coming from both sides.”

*Crackle*

Along with a sound tickling his ears, the back of his head grew itchy. He felt his hair float up. Velloc’s gaze, which had been staring intently at the monsters, turned toward Cara. Subsequently, his focus aligned on her hands.

Blue lightning was flashing between her delicate hands.

Seeing that, Velloc shook his head. He thought he had tried to act too much like a babysitter.

Everyone here was a companion who could easily pull their own weight. No, they had to be.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t survive the future journey.

“Adel. Take the left.”

Finishing his thoughts, Velloc charged to the right. He swung the greatsword in his hand like crazy. When the floor boomed, the ghouls were crushed or cut to pieces without fail.

Adel also rushed at the ghouls. A ghoul pounced, kicking up the dirt floor.

It intended to crush the delicate woman with its weight. However, Adel, who had drawn the situation in her head while watching her master’s battles, quickly stepped. The ghoul that fell to the ground missed, and her curved sword was swung.

Crunch!

At the same time the ghoul’s head rolled on the floor, light flashed from behind. The lightning stretching from Cara’s hand struck the ghouls.

The piles of corpses shook convulsively in the body-shaking lightning. Subsequently, their skin turned black, and they became a handful of ashes.

“Pant, pant. Is it because my body isn’t normal? To think I would find this level of spell exhausting…”

While Cara, sweating coldly, gasped her chest and caught her breath, Velloc helped Adel clean up the remaining ghouls.

Soon, the three stood upon the ruins of the burning church, the yard turned up as if an earthquake had struck, and the remains of the torn and burned dead.

Perhaps thanks to the fierce battle, the dimly falling sun had now completely disappeared. As the veil of night filled all directions,

the reddened church stood out all the more. Even to someone living at the edge of the city, it was identifiable with the naked eye.

“Tremendous firepower.”

Leaving behind the scattering sparks, Velloc, his face dyed in orange, muttered.

It was pure admiration. Not for nothing did people fear and revere magic.

That power, which defied the laws of physics, truly exerted immense power.

“Not all mages are like this. It’s because I’m of this caliber that such power comes out.”

Cara swept back her hair with a satisfied smile. Having one’s skill acknowledged anywhere was a pleasant thing.

All the more so since it was from the monster-like knight who saved her life.

“It is truly a terrifying power. I think I know why Lord Velloc wanted to save this woman.”

Adel also looked at Cara with a slightly pale face. Cara, enjoying even Adel’s fearful gaze, smiled.

“Don’t worry, Knight Lady. Unless I go crazy, I won’t swing my staff at you two.”

Soon, putting away her smile, Cara asked while twisting her hair.

“More than that, the Bishop didn’t show up until the end… even though his own headquarters is burning down. Where on earth did he go?”

“Could he have fled, knowing we were coming?”

Just as Adel also expressed doubt, Velloc turned his head. His intuition was tingling. It was the sensation he had felt when he saw the Bishop in the morning.

“He has arrived. It seems our paths crossed.”

Having uttered the words, Velloc crossed the yard, leaving the church building behind. Before he knew it, the greatsword covered in the flesh of monsters was held in his hand.

“What?”

At Velloc’s words, the two also turned their heads. At that moment, the iron gate opened with a creak. Standing there were an old man with a benevolent impression and two soldiers.

The church burning while emitting acrid smoke, and the pieces of flesh scattered on the ground.

The soldiers, looking around the messy surroundings, stammered and spoke.

“What… what on earth is this?”

Just then, one soldier noticed Velloc’s group standing in the yard and was startled.

“Gasp. Lord Luzback. The intruders who attacked the castle are them! Hurry and flee!”

Luzback’s gaze turned toward the three. Unlike the terrified soldiers, his two eyes were calmly settled.

“I went because I heard an emergency had struck the castle, but what on earth is this? What happened, brothers?”

Luzback tilted his head. Whether the soldiers blocked him or not, Velloc grinned and approached Luzback.

‘Acting even in this kind of situation? You should reveal your identity now.’

“This is what happened.”

Velloc immediately slammed down the greatsword in his hand.