CH 648

The battle had ended.

As was always the case after an assault on a major city, they needed to clean up the monsters' corpses and kill the surviving creatures.

However, now the Immortals were carrying out that task.

They were an army that never tired and resurrected even when they died.

Thus, at that moment, the outskirts of the garrison were being patrolled by Immortal knights and mages, who were dealing with any remaining monsters.

Soon.

The outskirts of Ruboten were not only a coalition army garrison but also the domain of the Immortals.

It was a place where the living could not see.

Now it was impossible to tell whether a person was alive or dead.

Thwack! Splat... Gurgle!

Ellen, who had been hiding, precisely decapitated the mole-like monster that had charged at her while it was leaping towards her.

However, black blood spewed from the beheaded mole monster towards Ellen.

The color of the blood itself clearly showed that it was a dangerous substance that should not be touched.

The claws and teeth were not the only dangers of a monster.

But the blood didn't even touch Ellen.

Sizzle!

Before the blood could even reach Ellen's body, or her Aura Armor, a curtain of fire from the Sun Cloak evaporated the mole's blood.

"…"

Even without the two sacred relics, Ellen was strong.

However, the Void Sword Lament and the Sun Cloak Lapelt completed Ellen.

The Void Sword Lament, shaped like a piece of the night sky, cut through everything it touched.

And the Sun Cloak, now capable of unleashing fire, was originally a defensive weapon meant to protect its user.

The Lapelt detected 'threats.'

Even those who had reached the Master Class and were among the strongest of humanity were occasionally sacrificed to the unpredictable threats of monsters.

But the true power of the awakened Lapelt, whether Ellen knew it or not, protected her from all attacks that posed a threat to her.

It was as if the will of an all-knowing deity protected the user.

If a monster's breath was dangerous, it blocked the breath; if its blood was dangerous, it blocked the blood.

It blocked anything that was a 'threat.'

A sword that cut through anything.

A shield that blocked anything.

The perfection of both offense and defense was what made Ellen Artorius a true hero.

That's why, even in the most dangerous places on the battlefield, Lapelt could protect Ellen against monstrous threats beyond common sense.

Because she could cut through anything and withstand any attack, Ellen went to the most dangerous places.

However, she didn't always just cut down giant monsters.

Small monsters, like the one now, were dangerous to someone else as well.

That's why, even after the battle ended, Ellen roamed the outskirts of the battlefield as if she were possessed, searching for monsters without anyone ordering her to do so.

She was always the first to enter the battlefield and the last to return.

Even now, as if she had become someone's puppet, Ellen repeated the same actions she had always done.

That's why, even though everyone knew Ellen was strange, they didn't know 'how much' stranger she had become.

She had always been a woman of few words, and her actions were no different from before.

"What's the point of you doing this? The Immortals can handle it, you know?" came a voice from behind her. Ellen slowly turned her head.

"Why don't you take a break?"

It was Christina, who had brought along two soldiers and two mages.

"…"

Ellen silently stared at Christina.

Christina tilted her head.

"You're really mysterious. I know the taste of battle.”

"..."

"What happened?"

Ellen didn't respond to Christina's question.

"Have you gone mute?"

Despite Christina's urging for some sort of reaction, Ellen remained silent.

Christina narrowed her eyes as she stared at Ellen, who was as unresponsive as a lifeless doll.

"Did you lose it in a different way than me?"

"..."

It was ordinary for people to fall apart after enduring horrible experiences.

It was unusually strong for those who remained intact.

Ellen, who had spent time in the most dreadful and perilous places, might have naturally fallen apart.

And so, Christina thought that must be why Ellen had ended up in this state.

Despite Christina's continuous taunting, there was no reaction from Ellen.

There was no sign of displeasure.

It didn't even seem like Ellen was ignoring her.

Christina frowned as she looked at the unresponsive Ellen.

Yet, Ellen didn't leave her spot.

She simply stared at Christina.

"You've become unlucky in a very different way than before."

"..."

"Well, I actually came to make a proposal to you."

Ellen remained silent.

"You know about the Immortal, right?"

Finally, for the first time, a semblance of a response appeared.

-Nod

"Oh, so you've been listening?"

Though it was a simple expression of intention by nodding, Christina recognized that Ellen was indeed listening.

"I won't explain in detail since you're busy."

Christina smiled.

"Be my hostage."

Ellen stared silently at Christina's malicious grin.

"If I have you with me, he'll surely show his face."

He would try to reclaim her by any means necessary.

If Ellen was with her, a certain being would definitely come looking.

He was hiding somewhere, plotting in secret, and his whereabouts were unknown.

No one could search the entire world thoroughly enough.

He could hide forever and never be found.

That's why she needed to secure a sacrifice to summon the Demon King.

"Ellen, you'll have to be the bait to catch the Demon King."

"..."

Christina smiled.

She would take her as a hostage.

But she had no intention of stopping there.

"Of course, when the Demon King comes looking for you..."

Christina started laughing, as if the mere thought delighted her.

"It'll be too late to turn back."

The moment the Demon King revealed himself to save his hostage.

What he would see wouldn't be a living Ellen Artorius, but Ellen who had become an Immortal.

What would the Demon King say, seeing the Ellen who had been revived by an irreversible death and turned into a mere shell?

The feeling of having something taken away.

The feeling of facing something irreversible.

She intended to make him feel the same way.

"Capture her."

Christina ordered.

Unaware that they were trying to turn an already empty shell into an empty shell once more.

------

It didn't take long.

About 30 seconds.

An Immortal wielding a sword and an Immortal casting magic.

All it took was that much time for the four Immortals to be neutralized, either by having their heads severed, their bodies split in half, or their waists broken.

The Void Sword cuts through everything it touches, leaving nothing behind.

And all attacks were neutralized by Lapelt.

Even the aura armor of Master Classes was nothing more than a blood stain in front of the blade of the Void Sword.

Nothing could withstand the cutting power of the Void Sword unless it was a sacred artifact.

That was why Ellen simply swung and defended.

Christina stared wide-eyed as the fallen Immortal vanished with a flash of light.

Was this not enough?

The Immortals that Christina had summoned wer among the top tier of all Immortals.

Ancient heroes who have reached the rank of Grandmaster couldn't withstand Ellen for even 30 seconds.

If these four were so easily neutralized, summoning more Immortals would not change the outcome.

"What is this...?"

Ellen simply stared at Christina after cutting down two Grandmasters and two Archmages.

Only then did Christina realize how unfair a divine artifact could be.

Not only Ellen but also the divine artifact.

She couldn't help but feel how irrational the Void Sword Lament was.

Ellen clearly reacted to the attacks directed at her.

Now, after suppressing the Immortals, Ellen slowly began walking towards Christina.

In front of the approaching Ellen, Christina retreated while casting a spell.

She summoned an Immortal.

Flash!

In response to Christina's will, dozens of Immortals began to block Ellen through short-range spatial teleportation.

However, it was meaningless.

Swish!

With just one swing of the Void Sword, the Immortals were cut down along with their aura armor.

Boom!

Lightning and electric strikes were blocked by a wall of flames.

An impossible situation where fire blocked electricity was created.

"How... How can this be...?"

Crash!

Neither swords nor magic could penetrate the fiery barrier surrounding Ellen, let alone her aura armor.

But the Void Sword cut through everything in its path.

It was a mistake.

The Demon King wasn't the problem.

Ellen was the problem.

Holding the Void Sword and wearing the Sun Cloak, no force or magic would matter in front of Ellen Artorius.

The only reason they could underestimate Ellen so far was because she still had humanity left in her.

It was impossible to bring Ellen Artorius, without any hesitation, to her knees through force alone.

Only then did Christina realize.

In the end, an alchemist was still an alchemist.

Her life had revolved around the laboratory and her desk.

She had no experience in actual combat or even witnessing a battle.

Yet, having the ability to command over a thousand Archmages and Master Classes as if they were her own limbs, she believed nothing could stand before her.

Why a hero was a hero.

What kind of object a divine artifact really was.

She knew it in her mind, but she had never seen it with her own eyes.

The twenty Immortals summoned by Christina were neutralized and disappeared as quickly as the first ones.

Christina blankly watched Ellen approach.

Not in a hurry.

As if to say, try to escape if you want.

Slowly closing in.

Just as Christina finally tried to dodge.

Swoosh!

Ellen, who had approached without being noticed, grabbed Christina's neck with one hand.

Ellen's movements were not something a deskbound person like Christina, who had never experienced real combat, could perceive and understand.

"Gah...ugh!"

A skilled battle mage might be able to cast spatial teleportation despite the pain of having their neck gripped, but that didn't apply to Christina.

Battle mages had chosen their path because they had lower talent and potential among magicians.

Among mages, there was no reason for the elite class to have real battle experience.

So, it was only natural that Christina couldn't see Ellen's movements, react to them, or use magic while in pain.

The formulas she had been thinking about became twisted and went awry in the suffocating situation.

She couldn't breathe.

It hurt.

It felt like she was going to die.

How could one calmly use magic with only these thoughts in mind?

How could battle mages do that?

Christina realized how difficult the task she once looked down upon really was.

How powerless she was.

It was too late to realize how arrogant it had been to stand in front of Ellen.

Ellen had shown her, without a word, how foolish it had been for an alchemist who wasn't even a battle mage to rely on the power of immortals and act so arrogantly.

Just by being gripped at the neck, all her magic had been sealed, and she could no longer call forth immortals.

After all, calling immortals was also magic.

"Ugh..."

In the suffocating situation, Christina struggled to free herself from Ellen's grip on her neck.

But even with all her strength, she couldn't move even one of Ellen's fingers.

Everything was meaningless in the face of such an overwhelming difference in power.

The immortals themselves had been swept away by the void sword, so there was no way Christina could control even one of Ellen's fingers.

"If you kill me... you'll... regret it..."

In the end, Ellen just watched Christina as she made such a pathetic threat.

Just before Christina ran out of breath,

-Thud

Ellen suddenly let her go.

"Cough! Gasp! Gasp! Gasp! Gasp!"

Christina, gasping for air on the floor, was still being watched by Ellen.

Her gaze was emotionless.

Not even a contemptuous look, as if looking down on trash.

"Hic! Hic! Hic!"

Gasping for breath, Christina still couldn't escape.

She needed to run.

She had to run.

But the thought filled her head, and her magic continued to fail.

Even though she wasn't being choked anymore.

The pressure and fear made it impossible to use magic.

How could one do this?

How could magic be used in battle?

How could anyone do that?

How could a human be so strong?

Christina couldn't help but tremble in fear as she experienced these things firsthand.

No matter how justified her anger or hatred,

The weak were weak, and the strong were strong.

Those who did not know how to fight couldn't understand it.

One could plan and scheme, but one should have known their place and acted accordingly.

If one recklessly stepped forward without knowing their place, they would suffer.

Ellen watched Christina, who was gasping for breath and crumpled like trash, completely powerless just because her airway had been blocked for a moment.

Then, Ellen's mouth, which had never opened before, opened.

"You still have some use."

"Ugh...!"

-Ziiiiing!

Christina couldn't hear the words coming from Ellen's mouth at all.

It was a small voice.

However, it had a strange resonance, as if it was a mix of tens of thousands of voices.

Amidst the pain that felt like the voice itself was tearing her brain apart, Christina writhes.

It was just a fraction of what Ellen had endured.

But Christina couldn't bear even a single voice, the overwhelming resentment of the souls, and had no choice but to crouch and tremble.

"I'll spare your life."

"Ughhhhh!"

To Christina, Ellen had become something unimaginable.

Even simple violence.

Even just a simple voice.

Christina couldn't handle it.

The only saving grace was that Christina didn't have to pay the price of her arrogance with her life.

Ellen left the unconscious Christina on the ground, littered with monster corpses, and returned to the alliance's garrison.