Chapter 60 – Magic Raiment

Against her, a witch and an inhuman entity, the Holy Order inquisitor never yielded.

No matter how elite he was in the Holy Order, her own power had already surpassed the human realm, so she sought to find the foundation of the confidence he displayed.

“Oh my, how scary. Could it be you’re a petty man who hits women?”

Saying so, she examined him.

The appearance of his mana armor was somewhat peculiar.

Class 2 at least.

Although it was unlikely, there was also the possibility of it being Class 1.

“Class 1? Surely you aren’t acting cocky just relying on your mana armor, are you?”

Just as she was sizing up Rashid, Rashid was also sizing her up.

‘Even if it is not overwhelming, it should be somewhat equal. Since this is Class 1 mana armor.’

Normally he would have avoided the fight, but it was not a fight that could be avoided.

Steeling his fighting spirit, Rashid spoke.

“A petty man, you say. Isn’t it enough as long as I don’t hit my own people, my own woman? Do not think of yourself as being beyond the law simply because you are a woman. I am always dead serious, even against women.”

The opponents that immediately came to mind were a Saintess and a Lazarus Villain.

“And never forget the fact that you are a witch.”

Rashid aimed at her with the Cross Sword he equipped.

The mana stone sword was now an option.

If he possessed infinite mana stones, he would use it without hesitation, but the bloodstones he had secured in the past were now running low.

Furthermore, since the Cross Sword had better durability, Rashid intended to utilize the Cross Sword as much as possible until he obtained better equipment.

Pfft!

She showed herself barely holding back a scoff.

The words that followed carried clear sarcasm and thorny mockery.

“People of the lower realm here are always like that. They put on mana armor and think they are invincible or something. And I’ve never seen a decent human being among men who raise their hands against women, you know? You seem to be exactly of that sort too.”

Rashid’s body vanished without a reply.

Rashid’s mana stone sword, which closed the distance almost instantly, targeted her, but she avoided it by a hair’s breadth, shifting her position with Light-Speed Teleportation corresponding to a complete magic formula.

The Light-Speed Teleportation did not end with a single activation, but continued several times, rapidly widening the distance.

Faced with her who fled in an instant, Rashid was not perturbed.

Because it was a behavior expected of a witch.

‘Light-Speed Teleportation? It is indeed fast.’

While he was bound by physical laws, the opponent was of a class that only cared about mana and energy.

“You startled me. I almost died.”

She raised one of her hands.

A posture preparing for a finger snap.

“Just as knights have mana armor, people of the Magic Tower also have garments corresponding to it. Do you know what that is?”

“It is magic raiment.”

“Correct.”

She prepared another spell.

The trigger words to equip the magic raiment.

“Raiment Equipping.”

Snap!

A thread spun from mana wrapped tightly around her.

Having turned into something like a silkworm cocoon, she shattered the cocoon and emerged, changed into a voluptuous and sensual appearance.

Raiment Equipping: Nine-Tailed Enchantress.

“Don’t act cocky wearing mana armor from now on.”

Her hair was constantly burning, and the nine burning tails were also impressive.

Rashid thought about her, who wore magic raiment instead of mana armor.

‘It’s like a mana armor created from mana. The shape is free, and once shedding proceeds, it becomes almost non-human. A monster.’

That varied appearance was precisely the characteristic of those who wore magic raiment.

‘The expiration date lasts until mana runs out.’

Rashid opened the armory and grabbed the magic sword that was inside.

Holding Scarver’s magic sword, he began to leave long afterimages, and she, watching this with interest, also began to sprint, leaving fire afterimages behind.

As the inquisitor and the witch clashed, the surroundings of the Inquisition Bureau were instantly engulfed in flames.

The clerics and mages who had been fighting intensely could not help but be caught in this, and gradually, the main characters of the battle began to be confined to the two rather than everyone.

Rashid’s sword strikes ravaged her several times, but her magic raiment, which received them directly, was also extraordinary.

Fireballs generated by the nine tails spewed out incessantly, and her hands, transformed like the claws of a wild beast, scraped his mana armor several times.

Yet she failed to make a single effective scratch.

Sword qi rushing in the air and numerous fireballs opposing it.

The battle between the two was so fierce that those watching did not dare to contemplate intervening.

The fierce close combat continued until she, seeing no prospect of victory, widened the distance.

Standing at a distance created by Light-Speed Teleportation, she took a moment to catch her breath, and it was the same for Rashid.

‘She is indeed an executive of the Purgatory Coven. Though it was equal, it seems it is not yet overwhelming.’

Part of it was because his growth was incomplete, but there were also regrets regarding the equipment side.

Although the durability of the Cross Sword was excellent, if he had a sword forged from Sky-Shattering Steel, she wouldn’t have acted with that much leisure.

Sigh~

A small flame leaked from her mouth.

The relaxed smile from before had vanished long ago.

She was a little surprised to meet a completely unexpected opponent, but on the other hand, she was rapidly reviewing the battle with him.

What was clear was that it was not a fight that would end easily.

‘They said he broke the restraints, right?’

He was certainly an interesting opponent.

“You’re a bit different. You are not the kind of inquisitors I expected.”

Although he had not used the power of Scarver yet,

surely, any fight beyond this would require someone to shed blood.

Since there was no benefit in getting into a dispute with some random guy over the matter of the Director of Palace Affairs,

Rashid asked one last time.

“Will you continue? If we fight to the finish, someone will surely use this place as their grave.”

Surprisingly,

she stripped off the magic raiment.

“No. Up to here. There’s nothing to gain from fighting you, and since the Holy Relic is only a temporary loan, it doesn’t mean much to me.”

Even if she captured him, the Holy Order would not collapse overnight, and he was not an opponent she had to capture by risking danger.

In other words, since there were more losses than gains, she, clever like a witch, wished to quit here.

Part of it was that she was quick to give up since she had already achieved her goal anyway.

Before leaving, she said seriously to the mages who were continuing their confrontation with the clerics,

“What are you doing? Let’s go. Since our business is finished anyway, let the people here handle the rest. It is someone else’s business to us anyway.”

Even if she was an executive of the Purgatory Coven who was not on very good terms with others in the Magic Tower, she was the commander here.

Once her will faltered, the rest of the mages had no choice but to follow suit naturally.

Since further sacrifice was meaningless.

The mages began to open portals in large numbers.

It was a withdrawal.

Conjoined with the mages departing in groups, she, who still guarded her spot, cast her gaze toward Rashid.

Rashid, who was still paying attention to her, asked indifferently,

“Aren’t you going?”

Smiling lightly, she promised the next meeting.

“Let’s meet again. I am a highly curious woman, so I must find out how you broke the restraints.”

“I politely decline that. I have something like a witch allergy, you see.”

“Come now, don’t be like that.”

Winking at him, she suddenly vanished.

It was an exit.

Rashid did not show any signs of regret over her departure.

Rather, he was thinking positively.

‘Not yet. There is nothing to gain, and no reason to fight to the finish.’

* * *

Entering the Director of Palace Affairs’ office, Mage Commander Aren bid farewell.

“Your Excellency, we will stop here. I heard Veronica has withdrawn.”

Naturally, the Director of Palace Affairs, who had no reason to welcome this, glared at him with an angry look.

“Leaving after ruining the job like this?”

“It is not our concern anyway, is it? We clearly helped upon your request, Your Excellency, and it is just that the result was not good. It is not us who bear the consequences.”

“Mage Commander… anyway, those Magic Tower bastards are not to be trusted. I shouldn’t have associated with them at all.”

Although he had reason to be angry,

Aren smiled instead.

Because he roughly knew how his end would be.

“It doesn’t matter what you think. Well, take care of yourself. Ah, there is a gift I gave you, so please make sure to use it if you need it. You probably didn’t wear it thinking we pulled some trick.”

He sneered faintly.

“Then you should have discarded it immediately.”

His gaze shifted to the small box lying on the reception table.

That was an item that had its own meaning just by possessing it.

“Your Excellency, take a look in the mirror once I leave. Then you will probably understand what I mean.”

The Mage Commander exited leisurely.

Although in his heart he did not want to let him go so easily, a sly old fox who only held power did not possess such strength.

Vane stood in front of a full-length mirror while suppressing his anger.

The dark circles were indeed deeply set.

As if something had happened to him.

‘Although there were indeed many things to worry about…’

Still, dark circles this deep were hard to explain.

Since it was at a level where others would misunderstand that something was wrong with his body.

At that moment, there was something whispering in his ear.

– Do you desire power?

“Ah…”

Vane could not help but sigh aloud.

This voice.

It was clearly their fatal temptation, which could not be denied even if he wanted to deny it.

– I can help you.

Vane smiled bitterly.

Because he recognized immediately who the owner of the voice was.

‘I wondered what trick they were playing, and it turned out to be this?’

Vane’s gaze landed on the box the Mage Commander had left behind.

Vane went over there and equipped the bracelet without hesitation.

Then, he changed his gaze menacingly.

‘I will play along. I am a person who has nothing more to lose anyway.’

“Is it a demon?”

To that question,

the whisper let him hear a blatant laugh.

“What is your name?”

– Mephisto. I can help you.

“Mephisto?”

It was an archdemon he vaguely knew.

‘This is actually for the better.’

“If I want power, what must I give up?”

– Everything you have.

“…”

His contemplation did not last long.

As long as he could survive through this transaction,

he would contract with anyone, even if it were not a demon.

“Fine. I accept that transaction.”

Soon, the body of the Director of Palace Affairs, writhing in pain, began to twist bizarrely.

When his private secretary, startled by the sound, came to find him again,

a completely different Director of Palace Affairs stood in his place.

“Your Excellency, did something happen?”

Vane felt the demon quickening inside him.

Glaring at the private secretary with a chilling gaze, he said,

“Nothing happened.”

* * *

Director Walter was able to enter his office again.

Since the mages withdrew, resistance was virtually non-existent.

Lucian had already fled, and the defected inquisitors also vanished following him.

The inquisitors who had been detained or confined all removed their restraints and returned to work, representing the majority.

Most of the inquisitors seemed to welcome the returned Director.

In the highly chaotic Inquisition Bureau,

Director Walter contacted someone.

It was the very culprit who had reduced him to this state.

After a few rings,

a familiar voice connected.

“Is that the Director?”

Absurdly,

his voice, which should have tasted a bitter defeat, was still arrogantly alive without dying.

“It is me. I express deep regret that things have turned out like this.”

“Haha, I also express regret.”

“I have returned to my position. Your minion is no longer in this place.”

“Ah, Lucian? Do not worry. He is with me now.”

“You must have prepared yourself, right?”

“Prepared? I prepared myself long ago. Do you think I would have pulled that stunt without preparation?”

The Director suddenly became curious about the reason why he was acting with such leisure.

“Among the inquisitors, those called defectors only numbered a mere few. If we counterattack like this, it will be hard for you to hold out.”

“I will be waiting.”

With that, the magic communication ended.

The Director could not help but tilt his head.

“Strange.”

Rashid was in front of him.

“He doesn’t seem afraid. Does he have another corner to rely on besides the Magic Tower? But the Magic Division should have already withdrawn.”

Rashid knew the reason.

Vane, that man was bound to make a deal with a demon.

‘He must have obtained the power of a demon.’

“You do not have to worry too much about it. Originally, when cornered, even a rat will display the boldness to bite a cat.”

Rashid sought permission as he envisioned the end of the Director of Palace Affairs.

“As for the Director of Palace Affairs, I will go find him and carry out a summary execution without a trial.”

The Director,

as always, looked out at the scenery outside indifferently and responded.

“I permit it. I will bear the responsibility.”