Chapter 215
Leaving the unconscious Benox behind, Kraush picked up the Magic Communication Device that had fallen next to him and tucked it into his pocket.
Then Kraush leisurely slipped through the collapsed walls.
From his mouth, smoke imbued with high heat was flowing out.
'To think Benox would be here. I used more output than I thought.'
Kraush, who had used both Excel and Annihilation Asura for the surprise attack, quickly cooled his body with Snow Devourer.
He had known the Opposition Faction would deploy personnel near the Holy Grail, but he hadn't expected the Commander of the Inquisitors to be there.
Benox was a Master-level powerhouse.
Even Kraush couldn't succeed without pouring his strength into the surprise attack.
'If not for Excel, the ambush would have failed.'
It was fortunate that the ambush succeeded.
Benox, the Inquisitor, was like a zombie who devoted all his Divine Power to self-healing and physical enhancement.
Not only was he optimized for stalling, but the longer the battle dragged on, the more difficult he became to deal with.
The ambush had been the right decision.
KWAANG!
At that moment, as Kraush stepped outside, the outside was still chaotic.
There were Aslan and Diona.
The Opposition Faction was launching attacks, taking advantage of the chaos entangling the Royal Holy Knights.
Particularly in the underground space, Aslan's Flame Magic was overwhelmingly effective.
It didn't just burn; the smoke added additional attacks, creating chaos for both the Opposition Faction and the Royal Holy Knights.
Meanwhile, Diona's sword, rampaging through the gaps, was equally terrifying.
She had been elevated to Cardinal solely based on her swordsmanship.
For the Opposition Faction and Royal Holy Knights, who had already clashed once, there was no one who could withstand her blade.
'That side is fine.'
Kraush immediately turned his head.
In the distance, Austria, under the temporary Recognition Inhibition Magic cast by Aslan, was seen floundering.
Kraush avoided the melee and quickly ran straight to Austria.
"Austria."
"Ah."
As Kraush suddenly appeared right in front of her, Austria flinched in surprise.
Seeing her like that, Kraush lowered his stance in front of her, showing his back.
"Get on."
"W-what? Get on?"
Though flustered, Austria had no time to hesitate.
When Kraush urged her with his gaze, she eventually bit her lips tightly and climbed onto his back.
From behind, he felt a heavy sensation along with a soft touch.
It was because Austria had pressed her upper body against Kraush.
Kraush still felt awkward about it, but he properly held onto Austria's thighs.
"Hold on tight."
"H-here? Even more?"
"If you're not careful, you'll get thrown off."
Knowing how fast Kraush could be when using Excel, she gulped and wrapped her arms around his neck.
As soon as he confirmed her firm grip, Kraush stepped forward.
The moment Kraush stomped on the ground.
Excel, enveloping his legs, accelerated him.
His accelerated body covered the distance in an instant.
Austria closed her eyes tightly without even a chance to scream.
THUD!
Before long, Kraush arrived at the location in front of the door Benox had blown away earlier.
"Huff, huff."
With her robe disheveled and hair messy, Austria made strange noises from behind.
Her face had turned pale, and she wore an expression that said she never wanted to experience that again.
Kraush carefully set the staggering Austria down and approached the shattered door.
KWAANG!
The commotion was still in full swing behind them.
Thanks to that, it seemed there was no one paying attention to this side.
Kraush lifted his head.
There, he saw the shattered door engraved with the emblem of the Holy Royal Family and Benox's axe.
Originally, the door had a Divine Shield, but thanks to Benox's axe, the shield was no longer intact.
Beside it, Kraush kicked aside the unconscious priests lying on the ground and stepped inside.
"Wait for me!"
Austria, feeling sorry for the priests, passed by them and followed him inside.
The interior was a dark space.
In a space where not a single ray of light entered, Kraush turned his head here and there.
Then, finding a lantern he could light, Kraush summoned Ignis to his hand.
As he lit the lantern, the space began to brighten.
It seemed to be a magically created lantern, as lighting one caused the others to ignite in succession.
Soon, an unpleasant sight unfolded before him.
Kraush smelled the stench of blood.
And following that scent, he saw a tank filled with blood before him.
Scattered around were objects whose purposes were unknown.
Just by their appearance, the tools seemed to have been used for gruesome deeds, and Kraush approached the tank.
At the very front of the tank.
There was a single round-shaped cup placed there.
Embroidered with gold, the cup appeared to be an incredibly expensive item.
The Holy Grail.
Despite its appearance, it was a horrifying object that absorbed all of the Saintess's Divine Power.
A grotesque creation made by Freeman to sustain the Holy Royal Family.
Kraush picked it up and lifted it in his hand.
Hoo!
At that moment, Kraush felt something within him being sucked into the Holy Grail.
Kraush, too, wielded Skills.
Skills were a form of power akin to Divine Power.
Thus, the Holy Grail tried to absorb the power of Kraush's Skills as well.
"Not a chance."
However, Kraush possessed another power.
The power of World Erosion surged before the Skills that were trying to escape from Kraush's body.
As a result, the Holy Grail, unable to absorb the power of the Skills residing in Kraush, remained in his grasp.
The only thing the Holy Grail could absorb was Skills.
Even then, it transformed the absorbed Skills from their original form into Divine Power.
Freeman had used this to melt countless Skills and Divine Powers to create the existence known as the Saintess.
The problem was that even this Holy Grail was part of a certain Nameless God's being.
'The term blasphemy isn't wrong.'
The Holy Grail was created from a part of the Nameless God's corpse.
It was no wonder the Opposition Faction clamored for a Religious Revolution.
"This place......."
At that moment, Austria's voice was heard.
She was staring blankly at the scene of the Holy Grail.
For her, it was also the place where she had been born.
Of course, she had no memory of this place.
She had become the Saintess when she was just a newborn.
Numerous Saintesses met their final moments as Saintesses here, and new Saintesses were born.
She, who was blankly watching the scene of the Holy Grail, soon turned to look at Kraush.
Her eyes were no longer fixed on the scene of the Holy Grail.
"What are you planning to do now?"
What she was now looking at was the next step.
Even if today would be her last day as a Saintess, she was determined to live as herself.
Feeling her resolve, Kraush had unconsciously drawn Rain Thunder Prime.
Even though Aslan and Diona were buying time, both the Opposition Faction and the Holy Royal Family would have realized the situation by now.
Surely, forces sent by one of the two would be gathering outside the Underground Space.
If he clashed with them, there wouldn't be enough time.
Thus, Kraush decided to move by the shortest route.
"Well, it's simple."
Since it had come to this, he was determined to reveal it to the entire world on a grand scale.
The Saintess who had ended the shackles of being a Saintess.
Astria Stigma Freeman.
That was her existence.
Black Flame began to swirl around Kraush's Rain Thunder Prime.
Along with the swirling Black Flame, the air around Kraush began to flow as if in reverse.
The direction of the reverse flow was none other than Kraush.
Feeling an unusual aura, Astria looked at Kraush.
"......You?"
When Astria asked with a look questioning what on earth he was trying to do.
Crackle!
A scabbard made of Thunder Energy began to form on Kraush's sword.
Along with sparks flying, Kraush lowered his stance with the Holy Grail in his hand.
Each time he did so, the power of Black Flame within the Thunder Energy scabbard grew stronger.
The Black Flame Storm, inspired by the Sword Demon's sword-drawing technique, began to emit high heat at some point.
"Hoo."
Smoke escaped from Kraush's mouth.
Boom!
At the same time, the surroundings began to shake as if an earthquake had occurred.
The wave of power emanating from Kraush started to affect the surroundings.
"W-what are you trying to do!"
Astria, startled, shouted and quickly grabbed onto a nearby pillar.
But even that pillar was shaking under Kraush's power.
Bang!
At that moment, the sound of footsteps came from the direction of the door.
When Astria, startled, looked in that direction, Benox was standing there.
His eyes were half-rolled back, and blood was dripping from his head.
Looking like a zombie, he gritted his teeth as he saw Kraush.
"You bastard!"
His voice, filled with rage, burst forth.
They had deliberately ensured he was completely unconscious, yet somehow, with his incredible physical and mental strength.
He had regained consciousness and made it here in such a short time.
Just as he was about to lift the axe he had dragged along the floor to stop Kraush.
A sword struck down on his axe.
Clang!
As a greatsword struck down on the axe, Benox staggered.
When Benox quickly turned around, there stood Diona, covered in dust.
"Diona!"
When Benox, who knew her, shouted, Diona's eyes carried a warning.
"The Saintess is present. Who dares to raise their voice?"
Originally, she had been approached by the Opposition Faction.
However, she was a Knight who solely protected Saintess Astria.
Seeing her choose Astria over Freeman, Benox expressed his anger.
[ Benox. Prepare the Holy Grail. ]
At that moment, Tersada's voice came from the Magic Communication Device that Kraush had taken from Benox.
It was a message sent under the assumption that Benox had already secured the Holy Grail.
Hearing that voice, Kraush gripped the heavy Rain Thunder Prime tightly and smirked.
"Ah, yes, everything is ready."
As Kraush's voice passed through the Magic Communication Device, a flustered reaction could be felt from Tersada's side.
And before he could say anything further, it was already too late.
Crackle!
With the Thunder Sound bursting from Kraush's Rain Thunder Prime, he swung his sword toward the ceiling.
In that moment, the heavy sword, propelled by the raging Black Flame, slashed toward the ceiling.
Crash!
Along with the sound of the Thunder Energy scabbard shattering, Kraush's Black Flame ascended to the heavens.
Annihilation Erosion
Third Form
Sky-Thundering Annihilation
Boom!
The raging Black Flame and Thunder Energy Storm tore through the ceiling and soared upward.
Shredding through the Underground Space, the Black Flame eventually reached the base of the fountain at the center.
As if the fountain base was incapable of blocking its path, it not only smashed the fountain but also evaporated the water as it soared into the sky.
The fountain, said to be where gods washed their hands, was utterly shattered today.
In front of that tremendous spectacle.
Onlookers screamed and hurriedly moved away from the fountain with shocked expressions.
Fortunately, as the fountain was large enough to fill the center, no one was caught in the blast.
Beneath the soaring Black Flame.
Kraush turned to Astria.
"Astria!"
As Kraush called out her name, she, understanding his intent, ran toward him.
"Astria."
And the moment she stood by Kraush's side and turned back.
Diona, who was holding off Benox, drew a smile on her lips.
"Fly freely, spreading your wings wide outside the cage."
Diona, the Holy Knight of the Saintess, who had always wished for her to spread her wings outside the cage.
From Astria's childhood to now, Diona, who had always raised her, smiled brightly as she looked at her.
Diona, who had always been the parent Astria never had.
Seeing her, Astria wore a smile brighter than the Sun on her lips.
"I'll fly incredibly high. Watch closely."
With those words, Kraush wrapped his arms around her waist and leaped.
In an instant, the two disappeared through the hole they had pierced.
Watching them, Diona let out a light breath.
As the Saintess had flown to achieve her desire, Diona, as her Holy Knight, had to finish her own task.
"Diona, you're out of your mind. You should have done something manageable."
Benox, filled with rage, was reflected in her eyes.
Entering full battle stance, Benox's body swelled to a threatening size, unrecognizable as someone from the Temple.
"I've always done things I couldn't handle."
Diona responded calmly to his words as she raised her sword.
"You all have no idea how much of a tomboy our Saintess is."
Hoping that today, the entire world will clearly recognize that fact.
Once again, Diona raised her sword for the Saintess today.