Will Shin and the others be alright?

After Shins party left, Lilishilas group was waiting in her room .

In the current situation, even if they acted, they wouldnt accomplish much . As it was unthinkable that only Eline was under Bulks command, acting carelessly would have been dangerous .

Waiting without doing anything, though, was painful not only for Lilishila, but also for the knights at her side .

Shin and Yuki will not have any trouble even if they face Eline head on . What we should worry about is the movements of the enemys other troops .

Casting Lilishilas worries aside, Shibaid leant against the wall of the corridor leading to the entrance . His words were filled with the absolute trust he felt towards Shin .

Not knowing that Shin was a High Human, Lilishilas group was probably worried at the thought of a head-on battle against Eline . Elines fighting ability was just that great .

Well then, it appears it is time for us to move too .

Less than an hour since Shins party left, Shibaid spoke while staring at one point in the room .

What happened?

Theres a group of people walking in this direction . Judging from the fact that they are not hiding their hostile intentions, they must be Bulks lackeys .

Shibaids words made Lilishila feel more anxious .

On her side there were 4 people, Shibaid included . Even if they were all competent fighters, depending on the enemy numbers, they might be at an overwhelming disadvantage .

Shibaids party left the room, thinking it would be dangerous to fight inside . As they got out, there was a group of people heading towards them .

Leading the group was none other than Bulk himself .

Oh my, where are we going now?

Nowhere that may concern you, Father Bulk .

My apologies, but I do have business with Lady Lilishila . If you would kindly accompany me, I am sure Her Highness the Holy Woman would be pleased as well .

Kh!

The sly grin formed by Bulks lips made Lilishila feel goosebumps .

If it was possible, she would have crushed him to the ground, then and there . Her clenched fist and teeth expressed that wish very clearly to anyone who would look at her .

Someone then put a hand on Lilishilas shoulder .

Lady Lilishila, it appears you do not need to accompany this charming fellow anywhere anymore .

Butcould it be that!!

Lilishila, who had understood the meaning implied by Shibaids words, completely changed her expression .

Yes, I just received contact from Yuki . They are heading here as we speak .

Shibaid nodded strongly, and not only Lilishila but also the knights erupted in cheers . At the same time, their hostility flowed freely to the group blocking their way .

W-whats with those looks? Have you forgotten what it means to defy me!?

How could I forget . Or rather, its impossible for me to forget .

Lilishila could not contain a chuckle, as her body was wrapped in highly dense magic power .

Bulk, feeling the danger emanating from Lilishilas clear intentions of attacking, drew his weapon and stepped forward .

Those behind him also took out their weapons .

Ko, Konig! Protect me!! You all too, step forward!!!

Konig? It cant be, you too?

Looking at the knights before her, Lilishila too said that name, with surprise in her voice .

Konig was a knight that was dispatched to Balmel, and by that logic, he was not supposed to be here at Palmirack .

Lady LilishilaI apologize . .

Do not apologize . I am aware of the circumstances .

Konig, who had stepped forward as well, showed eyes clearly filled with regret .

His struggle to stop the body that was moving against his will was palpable to Lilishila, who was also well versed in the ways of fighting .

His regret was felt by the people opposing him, as if it was their own .

Flee, I beg of you! Or I will cut you down!

Konigs arms slowly reached the blade at his waist . The brilliantly decorated weapon was the legend-class magical sword Haufer .

Haufer, unsheathed with a brilliant sound of metal, sparkled with an almost transparent silver gleam, in utter contrast with its owners will .

Is that a real magical blade?

As he drew the magical blade, an overwhelming pressure emanated from Konigs body, as if to crush his opponents . Despite his manipulated state, his strength did not waver an inch .

Lilishilas party, who was prepared to fight, could not help stiffening before Konigs presence .

Ha-hahaha . What happened to all your confidence and boasting?

Noticing Lilishilas partys hesitation, Bulk had regained his composure and was now jeering at them, standing right behind Konig .

None of them, however, had lost to Konigs aura of pressure .

Well then, I suppose we should start by stopping this man .

These nonchalant words were spoken by Shibaid .

His equipment was the same as when he joined with Shins party, light gear covering only part of his body .

The only difference was the silver-colored gauntlet he was now wearing . Lines of black mixed with silver grain covered the whole item .

Shibaid had materialized one of his original pieces of equipment .

Hmph . Konig is one of the most capable upper class chosen ones . If I were you, I would not boast so quickly .

Bulk, enjoying the view of Lilishilas party being pressured by Konig, bit back at Shibaid .

To Bulk, it looked like Shibaid was just bluffing .

You petty scumdo not think that you have angered only Lady Lilishila .

As Shibaid uttered those words, the pressure bearing on Lilishilas party suddenly vanished .

Immediately after that, as if the pressure had simply changed targets, the knights standing before Bulk kneeled to the ground .

They looked as if an unseen giant was pushing on them with all its weight .

W-what thegah!

The sight of his knights groveling had shaken Bulk, who too was forced on his knees slightly later .

A pressure so strong, trained knights succumbed to it: it was impossible for Bulk to resist . He cried, lying on the ground like a flattened frog .

Originally, techniques that pressure the opponent with ones aura or spirit did not have the effect of pushing the opponent down physically . The pressure was felt simply on an emotional level .

However, in Shibaids case it was slightly different .

I have heard of all your despicable acts . You will not escape me .

Shibaids deeply resonating voice shook Bulks eardrums . As if responding to his anger, the pressure emanating from Shibaid grew even more intense .

At the same time, the floor around Shibaid started cracking .

Shibaids main job is Holy Knight . Its role is to be an iron wall, a shield to repel enemy attacks .

If we were to compare skills that attracts the enemys attention and pressure enemies into submission . Shibaid boasts the best aptitude among all the support characters .

Against enemies with great difference in abilities, it even manages to pressure them physically .

The church headquartersis vibrating?

Konig, the only one of Bulks entourage still on his feet, looked at Shibaid with disbelief in his eyes .

Konig felt that Palmirack itself was resonating with Shibaids anger .

I know you are being controlled, Sir Konig . As I have no way to break that collar, I will have to be somewhat roughI trust you will understand .

I would rather be killed than for my blade to slay those without sin .

Your spirit is truly commendable .

Shibaids words provoked an explosive acceleration in Konigs movements . The afterglow following his blade swings painted streaks of light in the air .

As a weapon worthy of its Legendary grade, Haufer sliced through the air with little resistance, aiming at Shibaids neck .

It all happened in an instant .

Being controlled allowed Konig to perform a movement he would normally find difficult, a swing at his maximum speed .

The blade, however, was stopped right before meeting its target, by a silver gauntlet .

!?!

A sharp metallic sound . It was Haufers cry after grinding against the gauntlet .

The shock of the impact and the difference in quality between the two weapons resulted in only Haufer to be damaged .

A result which left Konig wide-eyed and speechless .

Immediately after that, the gauntlet, which had stopped Haufer, vanished in thin air, together with Shibaid himself .

. . Go to sleep .

The instant those words reached Konigs ears, he was already drawing his bladeonly to be hit vertically into the air .

Where Konig was standing just before, now stood Shibaid, his fist raised in the air . The armor which saved Konigs life so many times on the battlefield now bore a deep dent in the shape of Shibaids fist .

Konig, blown in midair by Shibaid, crashed against the ceiling with roughly the same speed as he had stepped in to swing his blade .

Gwah!!

A counter performed after blocking the opponents attack .

That single blow was enough for Konigs body not to follow its masters will anymore .

Yet the emotion filling Konigs chest was not surprise .

Towards the existence of an overwhelmingly powerful warrior, capable of dealing with upper class chosen ones with ease, who did not accept or forgive evil .

Towards the fact that a person like that appeared before him .

I amthankful

After uttering these words, Konig lost consciousness .

If you lose consciousness, you cannot move even under manipulation, is that it?

Shibaid went closer to Konigs body and confirmed that all strength had left it .

As he did not know how the control worked, Shibaid put restrains on him to be sure .

I cahnt, beliive it

Watching Konig be defeated so easily left Bulk flabbergasted .

The other knights too seemed to grasp just how dangerous an enemy Shibaid was, and they were desperately trying to crawl away to safety .

Lady Lilishila, could I ask for your help in restraining them?

Of course .

Shibaid captured the higher-leveled knights, while Lilishila took care of the rest . Bulk tried to flee too, but he was obviously captured as well .

H-how dare you treat me like this!!

Your subordinate in the other room has been defeated already, did you know?

Bulk was cut off as he was trying to talk . Shibaid informed him about Elines capture and Hermie and Millies rescue .

Bulks expression was one of utter shock . Considering that Lilishilas party turned against him, he realized that Shibaid must have been speaking the truth .

They did not need to endure humiliation to protect the controlled ones any more .

There wasnt a reason anymore not to oppose him directly .

You have done as you pleased more than enough

Probably because of the anger within her, a heat haze was surrounding Lilishila as she walked towards Bulk .

Her beautiful features hid a strong aura projecting a I will beat you till youre an inch away from death!! vibe, was abundantly clear to anyone who would look at her .

Her pressure was so fierce that even the valiant knights present stepped back .

I-I dont deserve to die in a place like this!! Teleport!!!

Under the weight of Lilishilas pressure, Bulk frantically chanted the keyword .

It was the same teleport crystal stone that Shin had used before .

No! Wai-

Bulk disappeared before Lilishila could prevent it . It was as if he never was there in the first place .

Kh! To think that he had a teleport crystal stone that was supposed to be lost!

Lilishilas expression was distorted by regret . The other knights too were left stupefied by Bulks sudden disappearance .

Differently from Lilishila, however, Shibaid showed no sign of apprehension .

Do not fret, Lady Lilishila . Bulk hasnt escaped us yet .

But he already completely disappeared

This building is the High Humans Cains base . A crystal with such low purity cant teleport outside its walls .

I-is that really true?

I have lived my share, you see . I have had the chance to learn about this Palmirack from High Elves and High Lords . He is likely regretting trying to escape right now .

Shibaid nodded with confidence, which let Lilishila feel at ease .

Some time later Lilishila, who had reunited with Hermies party, felt as if something akin to Bulks screams reached her ears .

Your comrades?

Subduing Lilishilas party while the main force is headed to the Holy Woman . That much is easy to predict . Thus we only needed to set a fitting opponent in wait for them .

RidiculousKonig will be accompanied by other upper class chosen ones! No matter how strong your comrades might be, they too surely have their limits!

Konig, a warrior close to Eline in ability, was heading to Lilishilas location . Shin did not know Konig very well, but he was not worried in the slightest about the possibility of Shibaids defeat .

If that Konig is close to you in terms of strength, as you say, then it will be childs play .

Even if there was another chosen one on the same level as Eline, Shibaid would not have trouble defeating him . It was a definite fact .

Shin spared no expense to reinforce his support characters, his companions were not to be trifled with .

Well then, now that you know that there is no way left to stop us, let us talk about what to do with you .

Eek!

Shin walked closer to Eline, slowly . The latter, remembering the punishment he had just received, let out a cry and tried to flee .

No matter how much of an upper class Chosen One he was, not enough time had passed for him to recover . The type of movement available to him was on all fours at most .

Maybe because all he had in mind was to run away as fast as possible, Eline crawled away with a speed Shin and Wilhelm did not expect . He could not truly escape, obviously . Shin gradually closed in on the distance between them .

S-shit!! Why am Iwhy is this happening to a chosen existence such as I . . !!!

As if he failed to grasp his current situation, Eline was muttering senseless words .

Eline had advanced for several mel when it happened .

His body started convulsing wildly, with jerky movements like a puppet with unoiled joints .

Whats going on?

Shin was puzzled at Elines sudden strange movements .

Aaahgahwhy? N-noNOOOOOOOO!!!

Eline screamed out of the blue .

Perhaps he had been hiding something in card form, Eline was holding a short sword with a black blade in his hand . After that, right before Shin and Wilhelms eyes, Eline stabbed himself with that same blade .

What the!?

The sudden insane act stopped both Shin and Wilhelm in their tracks for an instant .

The moment the blade penetrated Elines body, his HP gauge, as it appeared in Shins eyes, instantly dropped to 0 .

Instant death .

Gahi

Eline whispered something, spat blood and dropped to the ground . A mixture of fear and confusion remained on his face .

Give mea breaksuicide all of a sudden? Is this a sick joke?

Unable to understand what had happened, Shin grimaced at the blood flowing from Eline .

We dont know for sure . That bastard sure didnt look like someone who was thinking of offing himself .

It was clear that it had not happened because of Elines will . His movements, as if under someones control, led Shin to think of a certain item .

Shin drew closer to Eline and examined his neck, arms, legs . However, not a single submission item similar to Millies could be seen .

So, he wasnt controlled via an item?

Looks like it . Did he have any abnormal statuses?

No, it didnt look like he was affected by anything

Shin checked Elines general status display, but found no trace of status abnormalities .

He wasnt controlled by an item, nor under the effect of confusion or brainwashing . It was a very odd situation .

(Could it be something Im not aware of? Or is there something I missed?)

As the game turned into reality, it was highly possible that something not existing before now did . However, it could simply be that Shin had forgotten about it .

Even a long-time player like Shin could not remember all events and in such detail .

I cant think of anything related, but its probably better to check with Schnee too .

Whys that?

Well, it could be something I forgot about .

As Shin mentioned that Schnee and the others might know something about it, Wilhelm nodded in approval .

Its surprising that there are things that even you dont know . Anyway, he was raised by Bulk since he was a child . The Summit Faction likely did something to him, not that I pity him though .

Rather than an item, he could have been under the effect of magic . If that was true, that could perhaps also explain his contorted personality .

Wilhelm, having heard of Elines feats from Jai, did not have any compassion to spare .

Memory manipulation by an item could delete memories but it could not affect the persons personality . And Eline who actually used this type of item, said as such .

Even after such a death, it was clear that he wasnt worthy of pity .

We got the information, but I cant call this a pleasant way to close the curtains .

I feel the same . The bodyI suppose we can leave it here .

This room too was inside Palmirack .

As with the chosen one who exploded, after some time passed the corpse would be dispersed .

The two removed all of Elines equipment and items, searching for what could have been manipulating him . Not even Shin knew of a way to preserve corpses, thus they left it to be dispersed .

As Shin left the room with Wilhelm, a Mind Chat from Shibaid reached him .

(Shin, we have subdued Bulks subordinates who attacked us . )

(They came to you then, as expected . What happened to Bulk?)

(He ran away with a teleport crystal stone . However, the crystal seemed to be quite low in purity . He should have fallen in the maze section . )

(Please give me a secondyes, I found him . Leave the rest to me . )

Shin, who had activated Palmirack, could use part of its functions even without the control console .

He used the search function he had previously used to find Wilhelm and confirmed that Bulk was moving within Palmirack .

Even a teleport crystal stone of the highest purity would not allow instant escape if used inside Palmirack .

Even Shibaid, whose fighting-oriented job did not grant especially high appraisal ability, understood that the crystal stone used by Bulk was a low purity one . Such a crystal stone would not allow the user to flee, but instead would transport him directly to the maze section, built for intruders .

As he closed the Mind Chat with Shibaid, Shin called to Wilhelm, who was walking ahead .

Listen, Wilhelm . It looks like Bulk ran away . Im going to go catch him, so go ahead and join the others .

He ran away? You dont need any help?

I already know where he is, so no problem . He cant get out, or rather, he ended up in the maze section we used for training . If we leave him there, hes going to die . We have information to extract from him too, so Im going to secure him .

Looks like his luck finally ran out, eh? Im going ahead then . Make sure you give him a good scare .

Wilhelm, with an evil grin, walked on through the corridor .

After seeing him off, Shin used Teleport .

Aaaahh!! Eeeekk!! What, whats going ooon!

Forcing his pudgy body to an awkward run, Bulk cursed his fate .

Bulk, church priest and central member in the Summit Faction at the same time . After gaining a pawn such as Eline, he had stained his hands in all sorts of evil deeds .

Drunken by the vision of attaining High Human status, he had slain not only monsters but also other humans .

He was responsible for the death of many humans with special abilities, offering them in ritual sacrifice .

After gaining control of the Holy Woman and the knight guarding her, thanks to an item obtained by chance, he even managed to control a girl with the Star Reader title . In that moment, he thought that the whole world was moving to help him become a High Human .

Shit!! Someone of my caliber is not supposed to end in a place like this . . ! Bwah!

Bulk was running frantically, but finally his unhealthy lifestyle caught up and his feet tripped each other up . He fell to the ground and, unable to break the fall, was struck badly all over his body .

Gaah! Where is this place supposed to be anyway! I used the teleport crystal, so why am I not outside!?

Bulk flew in a fit of anger while squirming because of the pain .

He was supposed to have been transported outside Palmirack, but he found himself inside a dark cavern instead . The unexpected situation was already pushing Bulks frail spiritual fortitude to its limits .

Grrrrrrrrrrrr

Eeep!

What eroded Bulks spirit the most was the roaring cry which would sometimes resonate in the cavern . The cry, clearly coming from a monster, was coming closer and closer to Bulks position .

He could not see where the corridor lead, no exit was in sight, nor were any of his guards escorting him .

The increasingly louder roar was shaking Bulk to his core .

Da-damnitall!!!

Yo

A hand touched Bulks shoulder as he was about to run again . As Bulk turned around, his field of vision was filled with the figure of a man emerging from the darkness .

This new surprise caused the already tense Bulk to utter an incomprehensible scream: KWESDRFIGYYFIJIKIIII!!

Fijiki is the only thing I could make out from that .

Bulk had jumped up, crashed back down, and was now looking up at the face of the young man who talked to him .

W-what in blazes is going on!! But no matter! You, take me out of here! Now! I am a church priest, you shall be amply rewarded .

Bulk, in a state of confusion because of the extreme situation, barked his orders without confirming the young mans identity .

To such a Bulk, the young man talked with a smile and a menacing tone .

Hahaha . Your face is the only joke we need here, pig bastard .

W-what did you say? Im a priest of the church, I said!!

The young man walked closer to Bulk while cracking his knuckles . The closer he came, the farther Bulk crawled .

In that moment, Bulk finally understood that the young man had clearly hostile intentions .

But it was far too late .

I have a bunch of things to ask you . You better answer if you want to stay in one piece .

Eyes lit up in the dim darkness .

A completely artificial smile .

Hostility so palpable that his instinct was screaming to run away .

It was the manifestation of fear, a terror the likes of Bulk had never experienced before .

Bulk had no room to crawl backwards anymore, and part of his clothes had started to become slightly damp . A faint scent of ammonia pricked the two mens noses .

Lets start talking .

Bulks screams resounded through the barely lit corridors .

Lilishilas party had reunited with Hermie and Millie, led by Schnee, and was in a joyous mood .

Lilishila shed tears of happiness at the sight of Hermies neck, finally free of the black collar; seeing her in tears made Hermie cry as well .

The knight cheered loudly, confident in Bulks downfall .

As Wilhelm arrived, Millie, who had been eagerly awaiting him, ran up to hug him .

Oh, nice cheery mood here folks .

Here you are . Hey, its still alive right?

Hes not dead yet, nope . I doubt hell be able to continue being a priest though .

Wilhelm sighed while talking to Shin, who had joined them with some delay . Millie was still stuck to him and wouldnt let go .

The reason was an unconscious Bulk, carried by Shins left arm .

Seeing the priest with white eyes, drooling and sometimes trembling would have provoked the same question not only from Wilhelm but from anyone who witnessed it .

Shin-sama? What did you .

I just squeezed information out of him . Ill let the church decide what to do with him next .

Shin handed Bulk over to the guard knights and opened a Mind Chat with Schnee and Shibaid .

(According to Bulk, theres a high chance that Filma was captured by the Summit Faction . It looks like Exvaine was given to him by someone claiming to be from the Faction . )

The twos eyes narrowed after hearing Shins information . They could not remain indifferent after hearing that a comrade might have been captured .

(Is there no information about the ritual site?)

(Someone was supposed to come pick him up . I know the date, but who knows what this messenger will do . )

(Any other clue?)

(Nothing . I had the impression that he doesnt know anything either . Looks like they deleted the important parts of his memories . )

Making Bulk sleep and using an item like the manipulation collar on him wouldnt have been difficult . Lilishilas method too would allow a similar result, if used with ill intentions .

(Spiritual type skills are a real pain . )

Right next to the rejoicing Lilishila group party, Shins could not feel at ease .

After Shin and Wilhelm left, something started moving in the room where Hermie had been captured .

Uuh . . ghaah

The figure awkwardly standing up was none other than the man who was supposed to have died on the spot after piercing his own chest, Eline .

Kaah, hes finally dead!

Elines smile was even more distorted than before . More than half of his face was covered with a tattoo of thorns .

This guys contortion was of decent quality, but it was pretty obnoxious .

Eline talked as if concerning someone else . To a third partys eyes, he would look like he had become someone else .

Aaaah, having a body is really fantastic after all . Better not waste any more time here though, lets hightail it before that monster notices us .

The words coming from his mouth clearly showed how the spirit inhabiting the body was no longer Eline .

Something was controlling Elines body . With a small chuckle, Elines body vanished into the darkness as if melting in it .

Nothing else was left .

Tiera, who was heading to the inn after parting ways with Shin, was suspicious of the lack of any pursuers . She tried asking Kagerou and Yuzuha, but apparently there were no hostile presences in the surroundings .

Tiera too was worried about Millie, but she knew well that with Shins party heading to rescue her, there was nothing for her to do .

Tiera climbed onto the inns roof and stood gazing at Palmirack . She let slip a small grumble .

They told me to stand guard from outside, but I cant see anything . Someone that could slip away from Shin and the otherswho could ever do something like that?

She ended up wondering if she was really being of help to them .

Yuzuha and Kagerou, who were on lookout, drew closer to her as to reassure her .

Kuu

Gruu

Thank you . Should something unexpected happen, Ill do my best .

Tiera answered to the two and focused her sight on Palmirack .

Her focus then paid off, as she perceived unrest among the spirits around Palmirack .

Tiera followed their trail with her eyes and saw something fly from the roof of a building on the edge of Palmirack .

Whats that?

Tieras excellent eyesight allowed her to recognize the flying figure as humanlike . However, there were two pairs of wings sprouting from its back .

As far as Tiera knew, all Bird-type had just one pair of wings . None of the ones Tiera knew had two .

In addition, those two pairs of wings were one animal-like and the other insect-like, completely different types . It was clearly something abnormal .

The fact that the figure looked almost transparent must have been due to a skill .

What in the world is that shadow? Is there any skill we can use to track it?

Yuzuha activated a skill after Tieras request . A bird-like something, melting in the moonlight, danced in the sky and flew after the shadow .

Did something happen to Shin and the others?

Tiera then was informed of Millies rescue by a late message .

The shadow she had witnessed .

That very shadow would decide the next destination of Shins party .