Dentaria was momentarily flustered. She had thought the opponent was high-level, but now it seemed they were superhuman.
"What… Why is there another superhuman in the Northern Army?"
This threw their plan into disarray. The strategy had been based on the assumption that the Northern Army had no more superhumans.
Her wavering eyes soon lit with a cruel glint.
'Perhaps this is an opportunity.'
They hadn't expected a hidden superhuman, but eliminating this elf here would remove a significant threat.
Dentaria couldn't tell if the opponent's strength surpassed hers, but their side had three superhuman-level warriors.
"Let's work together—"
As Dentaria tried to call the other superhumans, Erenes moved first.
Boom!
Grab!
"Urgh!"
Before Dentaria could react, Erenes grabbed her by the neck.
Crash!
Dentaria, slammed to the ground, wore a horrified expression.
'I… I can't breathe…'
The sheer force was overwhelming. Just being held by the neck was enough to stop her from breathing.
Rumble...
"Grrr…"
It felt as if a mountain were crushing her throat. If this continued, her neck would snap.
Desperately, Dentaria drew out more power. Black energy surged from both her hands.
Boom!
She unleashed it, but Erenes had already disappeared.
Cough! Cough!
Dentaria, scrambling to her feet, turned around with a jolt.
She hurriedly gathered her energy and crossed her arms in defense.
Flash!
Boom!
Crunch!
Struck by green energy, Dentaria was sent flying. The force shattered both of her arms, despite her attempt to block the attack.
"Aaargh! You wretch! What are you?!"
Whoosh!
Black energy erupted violently from Dentaria's body, enveloping her broken arms. The energy formed splints, stabilizing her injuries.
Wings of black light sprouted from her back, and razor-sharp claws of the same energy extended from her hands.
This was the power of high priests, a strength rarely used. Dentaria pushed herself to her limits.
"Don't underestimate my holy power!"
Shouting, Dentaria charged forward as a black blur.
It made no sense for an elf with such overwhelming strength to appear so suddenly. She had only been caught off guard at first—she was certain of it.
"Die!!!"
With a twisted expression, she swung her demonic claws.
The sheer force distorted and split the air. Dentaria was confident her attack couldn't be dodged or blocked.
But she only struck Erenes' afterimage.
Erenes had already evaded and moved to her side, calmly speaking.
"You are not true superhumans. You're just parasites feeding on scraps."
Flash!
Boom!
Another flash of light, and Dentaria's side caved in as she was flung to the ground.
"Aaargh!"
Lying on the ground, she screamed in agony.
Her holy power should have dulled the pain. As long as her energy remained, she should only have felt minimal discomfort.
But her side burned with excruciating pain. She couldn't understand why.
Assuming the concentrated holy power in her injured area was insufficient, she tried redirecting more energy, but it made no difference.
'Could it be… that her attack contains power beyond my own?'
Her holy power wasn't enough to negate the damage. She had barely been struck, yet an enormous amount of her energy was already drained.
Step.
Erenes stepped closer, looking down at Dentaria with a gaze full of contempt.
"Pathetic. Compared to 'back then,' you are truly insignificant."
"W-What are you saying…?"
"Pretending to be superhuman with your half-baked power."
The high priests of the Salvation Church occupied space and time in a way similar to superhumans. Their faith allowed them to establish a world uniquely their own.
However, they lacked the skill and experience of true superhumans. Their strength wasn't earned through relentless honing but granted through the unique power of holy energy, which they couldn't fully wield.
"You are weaker than Equidema."
The rift beast Equidema fought with primal instincts. Its formidable body and wild strength were challenging even for superhumans to handle.
The priests, however, were different. They had power but lacked the skill, experience, and instinct to wield it effectively. That's why Erenes dismissed them as half-baked superhumans.
"Urgh…"
Clutching her side, Dentaria tried to crawl backward.
She couldn't win. If the fight continued, she would die, and the mission would fail.
Erenes watched her pitiful retreat before speaking.
"Is that all?"
"What… what do you mean?"
"Are you the only superhuman? If so, you will die here."
"You arrogant—"
Dentaria's eyes flashed. She hadn't called for reinforcements yet because she had been too preoccupied dodging. But if her opponent was this overconfident, it could work to her advantage.
"Attack her now!"
At Dentaria's command, pillars of black light erupted where Erenes had stood.
Boom! Boom!
Erenes retreated, her gaze shifting to the enemy's formation.
She saw two more priests flying toward her and narrowed her eyes.
"So, there are three."
Three superhumans. Without Erenes, the Northern Army would have suffered significant losses.
As the two priests joined the fight, Dentaria ascended into the sky, laughing.
"You arrogant elf! Do you think you can handle three of us, no matter how strong you are?"
The priests were confident. Even if their skills were lacking, three superhuman-level beings together were a force to be reckoned with.
They could complement each other in battle.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Black energy crashed down everywhere. This time, even Erenes was forced to focus on evasion.
Watching this from the Northern Army's camp, some commotion broke out.
"There really are more of them?"
Alpoi trembled as he glared at Claude.
Claude had insisted on confirming how many superhumans the enemy had.
— "If you can kill one, do it immediately. But if you can overpower them, draw out the others. We need to know their full strength to respond appropriately."
If Erenes had overpowered the first superhuman, the others would have joined the fight to ensure her death. They wouldn't miss the chance to eliminate such a threat.
As the situation unfolded as Claude had predicted, he leaned back smugly in his chair.
"A real expert can see this coming a mile away. I always say war is like a card game. It's all about psychology. And in the end, the side with the better hand wins."
Kaor, resting his sword on his shoulder, sneered.
"An expert, huh? You lose every bet with the lord."
"...That's because he's not human."
Still, Claude's strategy worked. If the enemy had ignored Erenes and charged all at once, things would have been much more troublesome for their side. But the enemy had taken the bait.
Kaor tilted his head in confusion.
"Why did those guys even accept this? If they know the lord isn't here, wouldn't it make more sense to just push through? Shouldn't they aim to inflict as much damage on us as possible?"
"Tut-tut, that's not how commanders think. They're at a disadvantage because of our catapults, so they probably want to minimize their losses. Even facing a high-level knight can lead to significant casualties. So, they likely thought it would be better to eliminate a strong opponent while they had the chance."
"Hmph…"
Kaor pursed his lips. Claude acting like the only smart one annoyed him. Everything about him was irritating.
Alpoi, on the other hand, looked at Claude with a hint of admiration.
'I really should get into card games.'
He felt it would be a great way to stimulate his brain.
No one noticed, as Claude continued his smug and arrogant act, but his inner thoughts didn't quite match his outward demeanor.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down his back.
'Wow, she's seriously strong. That level of power? Is this real? Could she be stronger than the lord?'
He had spoken without much expectation, but Erenes had managed to draw out three superhuman opponents to fight her.
Even if the priests lacked combat experience, their sheer power was on par with that of superhumans. A single direct hit from them would feel no different from being struck by an actual superhuman.
Watching her take on three such foes simultaneously was almost unbelievable.
'Should we just storm the Duchy right now?'
Though he knew it was unrealistic, the thought briefly crossed his mind. Erenes' performance was that impressive.
As he watched, Alpoi voiced his concern with a slightly worried expression.
"She's up against three of them. Do you think she'll be okay? Shouldn't we help her now? Let's send Vanessa out quickly! Let those guys get a taste of something spicy!"
He had no intention of going out by himself. He knew he'd be torn to pieces instantly. At times like this, Alpoi's sense of self-preservation was remarkably sharp.
Tenant drew his sword and spoke to Claude.
"I'll go out there."
Kaor, still with his sword slung over his shoulder, smirked.
"Me and this guy can handle it. Those priests suck at fighting."
Kaor had previously fought alongside Ghislain against Ravier and knew firsthand that while the priests had immense power and speed, their skills were severely lacking.
He believed that he and Tenant could handle them easily.
But Claude shook his head.
"No, not yet. Let's watch a bit longer."
They had agreed to fall back or send a signal if things became dangerous. However, Erenes was still fighting with caution.
It was clear she intended to take at least one of them down.
They didn't yet know if the enemy had more superhumans. But if Erenes managed to kill one and no others appeared—
'That means these three are all they've got.'
Knowing the number of superhumans in a war was crucial. It dictated the strategies that could be employed.
Erenes was carrying out Claude's orders to perfection.
Thanks to her, they had confirmed that at least three superhumans were present. The enemy's determination to crush the Northern Army in the absence of its lord was evident.
Claude gestured to those around him and spoke.
"Still, get ready to fight. If they've sent out three and start losing, they'll go berserk."
While the Northern Army tensely watched the battle unfold, Count Matthes of the Delphine army also clenched his fists as he observed the clash.
"Who… Who is that elf?"
They had sent out all three of their superhumans, yet they hadn't been able to defeat her outright. The enemy commander must have prepared knights specifically to counter such a move.
The difference between being ambushed by superhumans and having a force ready to hold them off was immense.
But that was only a concern if their three superhumans actually defeated the elf.
"Surely… surely they won't lose, right?"
He had already seen that they struggled in one-on-one combat. Still, he didn't believe three of them could be defeated.
Collaboration always multiplied their power exponentially.
"But why aren't they doing anything?"
By now, the Northern Army should have sent reinforcements. Yet no one had come out.
Their calm demeanor, as if nothing were wrong, only made Count Matthes more nervous.
After deliberating, he gave an order to his lieutenant.
"Prepare to charge immediately."
"What?"
"Watch the situation. If the priests are in danger, we charge."
"But the duel isn't over yet…"
"You fool! Sending out three against one already means we've lost the duel. Look! They haven't sent anyone else!"
"Y-Yes, sir."
The morale of the soldiers watching the fight plummeted. The duel was essentially over in their minds.
Their only choice now was to wait for an opening and push forward. That moment would surely come.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The battle grew increasingly intense. With three superhumans complementing each other's immense power, Erenes couldn't overwhelm them easily.
However, her eyes remained calm, focused on something.
Hovering in the air, Dentaria laughed loudly and shouted.
"So much for showing off! Let's see if you can handle this!"
Goooooo…
Dentaria's eyes turned a deep purple as an overwhelming energy began to pour from her body.
She knew she couldn't win with skill. So, she decided to destroy everything around her with sheer power.
Her target wasn't just Erenes—it was the entire Northern Army.
'If this attack lands, Count Matthes will advance.'
Her plan was to leave Erenes behind while she and the other priests turned their attention to the Northern Army. The elf would be occupied with the remaining priests.
In the meantime, the Northern Army would take heavy damage from her attack. Count Matthes wouldn't miss the opportunity.
Goooooo…
Black energy rippled from Dentaria's body, forming countless tendrils.
It was the same technique Ravier had used against Ghislain. A high priest's ultimate skill, it harnessed an overwhelming amount of power to devastate the surrounding area.
This technique was their trump card, designed to turn the tide when facing a stronger superhuman. By pouring all their holy power into one attack, they could aim for instant reversal.
Even a superhuman couldn't avoid this attack, let alone ordinary soldiers.
'Foolish elf. You'll regret your arrogance when you see your allies perish.'
At that moment, Erenes, who had been evading the other priests' attacks, narrowed her eyes.
Rumble…
Her wooden armor reinforced itself as new vines grew from her left arm.
Intertwining, they quickly formed the shape of a massive bow, which Erenes grasped in her left hand.
The ultimate weapon of Erenes, the Guardian of the World Tree, one of the Continent's Seven Strongest.
The Elven Serenade.
Fwoooosh…
As she drew the bowstring with her right hand, a radiant green arrow materialized, emanating a brilliant light.
Still dodging the priests' attacks, Erenes held the drawn arrow and suddenly stopped moving.
At that moment, Dentaria, preparing to unleash her attack on the Northern Army, sensed a tremendous energy and looked down.
From afar, a green light flickered.
"S-Surely not… That elf is…"
Before Dentaria could finish her thought—
Thwack!
The arrow of light pierced her heart.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]