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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 149
Sacred Spear Aegios.
The artifact referred to as the Angel's Key by the Inoria Foundation remained untainted, despite being exposed to the foreign, alien magic of the Outer Sea for a prolonged period.
It still retained its pristine white color, radiating a golden brilliance. The figure of Talion standing before it presented a stark contrast.
Ominous magic flowed out from his wide-spread black wings, spreading around him.
Yet, the dark magic failed to encroach even a sliver into the halo of light surrounding the Sacred Spear.
As Talion, with his single remaining hand, reached out, four thick streams of flame hurtled toward him, colliding with his wings and erupting into fire.
Puwaaaaah!
The scorching heat heated the surrounding air. The scattered flames and heat gathered in multiple locations, forming dozens of fireballs.
The completed fireballs, like magnets, hurtled toward Talion.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kang!
The repeated explosions amplified the scale of the flames.
The dazzling light brightly illuminated the surroundings, driving back the darkness. The shimmering heat distorted the space around it.
It didn’t stop there. The flames and heat surged as if to completely destroy Talion, who had wrapped himself in his two wings like a cocoon, pressing down relentlessly.
Puwaaaaah!!!
The fire didn’t spread outward. It continued to swirl in place, as though determined to reduce Talion to ashes.
It was a firepower strong enough to incinerate even formidable beasts. A scene that could easily inspire overconfidence. However, Ian furrowed his brows instead of feeling satisfied.
No screams could be heard. He didn’t believe Talion had burned to death so quickly that he couldn’t cry out. It was evident that he was enduring inside.
Fwoosh!
Within the blazing flames, a black silhouette moved, stirring a fierce wind.
Of course, such efforts didn’t completely extinguish the flames. The crimson fire clung to the feathers, slowly eating away at them.
“Huuk…!”
Talion exhaled heavily. While his wings remained intact, the human body within had not been fully protected.
Though he had somehow withstood the flames, he couldn’t avoid the heat seeping through small gaps, which had likely taken its toll.
As evidence, his flesh was melting away. It was a wound severe enough that it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had already died, yet he was still alive.
“Heh, heh-heh-heh.”
Perhaps due to his tenacious vitality, or perhaps thanks to the Sacred Spear gripped in his hand.
Though it was unclear how, the once pristine white spear was now interspersed with black, the two colors repelling and clashing repeatedly.
With each clash, the burned flesh of his body was gradually healing.
Sssss!
As Talion momentarily caught his breath, Cyphry belatedly revealed himself. Talion, wings fully spread, appeared defenseless.
Even though he held the Sacred Spear in his remaining hand, it didn’t seem particularly threatening.
Cyphry’s daggers glinted in both hands.
Dozens of slashes were carved into the air, each aimed at a vital spot. However, instead of panicking, Talion laughed.
“I knew you would show yourself.”
A tone suggesting disappointment if it hadn’t happened. At the same time, the spear in his hand moved with lightning speed, deflecting all the attacks.
Ka-ka-ka-kang!
-What!?
Cyphry was visibly startled. It was an attack that Talion shouldn’t have been able to counter with his physical abilities.
And yet, he hadn’t missed a single strike, deflecting them all.
Talion immediately counterattacked after deflecting the spear, driving it forward in a series of precise thrusts. The shaft of the spear flexed sharply as it pressured Cyphry relentlessly.
Ka-ka-ka-ka-kak!
The spear infused with magical energy clashed violently with Cyphry’s dagger, creating a chaotic symphony in the air.
Each strike exchanged between Talion and Cyphry aimed unerringly at the other’s vital points, their movements so rapid they were almost impossible to track with the naked eye. Once teacher and student, they anticipated each other's intentions with uncanny precision.
At first glance, it seemed Cyphry held the advantage. His dagger techniques were honed for lethality, each movement precise and deadly. His fluid motions and shadow-utilizing strikes pushed Talion back repeatedly. Yet, Talion defended against them all with an unyielding tenacity.
Realizing he couldn't gain the upper hand head-on, Cyphry tried to retreat. However, Talion lunged forward, grabbing Cyphry by the collar with a hand that had inexplicably regenerated.
With a sinister grin, Talion effortlessly lifted Cyphry off the ground and slammed him into the searing-hot floor.
Boom!
"Urgh!" Cyphry groaned as the impact drove him into the scorching surface, the edges of his clothing beginning to smolder.
Without hesitation, Talion flipped the holy spear into a reverse grip and drove it down. The spear pierced through Cyphry's side in one decisive motion.
Ian, watching from the sidelines, furrowed his brow. Talion's physical capabilities had increased dramatically, a transformation that was impossible to ignore.
"Is this the power of the Holy Spear?" Ian wondered, noting the radiant light seeping into Talion's body.
Initially, Ian had assumed the spear merely enhanced healing abilities. But now, it was evident the spear’s primary function was physical augmentation.
Cyphry’s body dissolved into shadow moments after the spear struck, reappearing at a distance. He knelt on one knee, clutching his abdomen. Blood did not flow from the wound; instead, black particles seeped out and dissipated into the air.
“I planned to escape with the Holy Spear…” Cyphry muttered, his voice laced with frustration.
Talion raised the Holy Spear mockingly, his once-disfigured face now fully restored.
"No need for that anymore," Talion sneered. "I underestimated how easy it would be to claim this. Foolish of me to hold back all this time.”
"Talion." Cyphry’s voice trembled with restrained fury.
“Ah, Cyphry. I finally understand why you kept the Holy Spear’s abilities such a closely guarded secret. It’s a true relic, a divine gift from the gods. Exponential healing, mental euphoria... but above all, its most sublime, awe-inspiring aspect—” Talion’s voice grew softer, almost reverent.
With a glazed expression and a voice tinged with ecstasy, he added, “Is this the world seen by those who possess divine spirituality?”
Ian flinched at those words. Talion's statement suggested he had ascended to a higher tier of existence—a notion not to be taken lightly. Moreover, his body had fully recovered.
This wasn’t good. The possibility of being unable to defeat him sent Ian's heart pounding with an alarming intensity.
"This is bad."
The signs of Talion’s latent ability awakening were unmistakable.
Shaking off the doubt, Ian steeled himself. There was no room for weakness. He wouldn’t allow himself to lose to some self-righteous man, let alone a mere pretender to the throne.
With a swift motion, Ian summoned a pill into his hand—Wigner Delta—and crushed it between his teeth, swallowing it in one decisive bite.
“How,” Cyphry rasped, “can such a wretch wield the Holy Spear?”
The Holy Spear Aegios was not an object to be casually held. Only those with unwavering faith in the divine and an indomitable spirit could wield it. Those unworthy would be repelled, cast aside by the spear’s overwhelming force.
“The subject has been changed.”
Talion spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, his words accompanied by a mocking smile.
“I made it so that anyone with faith could use it. That alone was enough. There was no need to go through the trouble of corrupting or distorting its essence. Of course, it was only possible with the assistance of the Morning Star. Doesn’t that mean he is with me?”
—That was possible in such a short time?
“To be honest, I didn’t think it would work either. But once I set my mind to it, it happened. So, what do you think? Do you think you can defeat me? You, who have barely reached the fifth stage, against someone like me, who bears a star?”
—It’s only temporary, isn’t it?
“Do you truly believe that?”
Talion’s unwavering confidence sharpened Ian’s gaze.
The arrogance laced within his words had shown itself once before—when he first launched his attack with his wings spread wide. That arrogance would inevitably lead to his carelessness.
However, Ian was well aware that this time, Talion would not fall so easily. Talion nodded, as if conceding something.
“I suppose there’s no helping it. The abilities you all possess seem quite useful, so I’ll generously offer you mercy and make you the foundation for changing this world.”
With a sly smile, Talion’s wings fluttered lightly.
Ian felt the effects of the potion coursing through his body. His muscles loosened, his reflexes quickened, and his senses became razor-sharp. His vision was clearer than ever.
Watching the direction Talion’s gaze shifted, Ian anticipated his next move. It was nothing short of foresight. Bending his knees and planting strength into his thighs, Ian raised his heels slightly, preparing to push off the ground with his toes.
Talion’s gaze settled on the easiest target in the area: Audrey and the group.
‘I knew it.’
Just as Talion lunged toward the group, Ian also sprang into action, deploying his technique with precision.
[Bane of Evil]
Scorching flames and intense heat surged forth.
[Sixth Form: Sacred Fire Armor Deployment]
The flames enveloped Ian’s body like armor, and simultaneously—
[Second Form: Comet]
He shot forward like an arrow, his actions calculated and precise, as if foreseeing every outcome.
Boom!
Ian’s strike hit its mark, ramming into Talion’s black wings with his shoulder. The impact sent Talion reeling, his balance lost as he plummeted. Yet, even as he fell, Talion reached out, pressing a hand to the ground to steady himself and rise again.
Just then, the ground erupted in a swirling torrent of water.
It was Audrey, chanting a spell to unleash her magic.
Whoosh!
Talion instinctively swung the Sacred Spear in his hand, but water was not something that could be dispelled with a simple slash.
The torrent wrapped around him in an instant, but its power wasn’t overwhelming. Considering her skills, creating such a volume of water was impressive enough.
“Gawain!”
Audrey’s clear voice rang out as she called upon the Blueflower Knight.
There was no verbal response, but the water surrounding Talion began to freeze over immediately.
It was a swift process. Ordinarily, freezing such a large amount of water would take time, but Gawain’s magical prowess condensed the process, locking Talion in place.
However, the ice wasn’t strong enough to restrain him completely.
Crack!
With a surge of strength, Talion shattered the ice, breaking free in mere seconds. The restraint had only lasted briefly, but it was enough.
In that moment, Ian had completed his preparations. The flames that had armored his body now gathered around his Holy Sword, reshaping it into a spear of fire.
[Domain of Flame: The Spear to Pierce the Heart.]
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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