The amount of power represents justice, and the greater the power, the more righteous it is - this was one of his life's credos.
Although he didn't understand the specific uses of magical power, through experimentation, he knew that 1 point of magic power, 2 points of magic power, and then 3 points of magic power weren't simply additive like 1+2 equals 3. It was more akin to a doubling in mass.
Thus, with an enchantment of 10 magic power points amplifying the power of a grenade, York was genuinely unsure about its actual potency; this was his first attempt.
After all, he usually relied on physical and traditional means for demon hunting.
Thinking this, York forcibly twisted open the grenade pin, which required several kilograms of force, and hurled the grenade with all his might at the woman about a dozen meters away.
Seizing the opportunity, he took advantage of the brief delay that the demon had before each attack.
York couldn't quite understand it and could only conclude that the demon really regarded him as an ant, not knowing those Eastern proverbs: even ants can bite an elephant to death, or when a lion fights a rabbit, it uses all its strength.
Boom! With the strength of a 27-point physique, the grenade, propelled by a burst of air, quickly reached Abigail.
As York had anticipated, Abigail didn't make any move; she merely stopped the grenade in mid-air.
"Truly a demon's trait."
York's eyes flickered with sarcasm as he uttered softly, "Explode!"
As his whisper fell, there was a massive explosion!
The blast's light, like a volcanic eruption, enveloped everything with a huge shockwave, shattering all in its path.
The brightness filled York's eyes momentarily, and he muttered to himself, "So powerful?"
Feeling the shockwave carrying debris toward him, York's magic power automatically surged, and his hands quickly reloaded.
He was somewhat afraid that the demon might go berserk.
Indeed, as the entire hallway was shattered and dust filled the air, the demon's furious roar echoed, "Humans!!! You're courting death!!"
Suddenly, a powerful energy burst forth, dispersing the dust to reveal the woman's figure, floating in the air.
Instead of her previous human appearance, she now had two goat horns on her head, her eyes were pitch black with a red vertical slit pupil, and something resembling a dark and ominous mask covered the lower half of her face, extending downwards, following a pattern that reached her feet.
Aside from this, the demon's inherent aura of darkness, like an encroaching domain, transformed the area into a world of shadows and mist, manifesting her demonic illusion and pressure.
"Is this your true form?"
With an 83-point spirit, York felt no pressure and was instead surprised.
He found that the demon's true form differed from the ugly ones he imagined. It retained a human form, exuding a strange beauty, reminiscent of demon comics he had seen in his previous life.
Surprised as he was, York's left hand was already gripping another grenade.
[120 Magic Points Used] [...] 10 magic points merely scratched the surface, so he decided to go bigger and end it once and for all, no need to drag it out.
With 120 magic points rapidly consumed, his magic power dropped to 3.5 points but soon recovered to 5.5 points over two minutes. Including the planned addition of 20 points to his magic power, he had just enough.
[Magic Power 25.5/157.5]
With the 120-point enchantment, York could feel the grenade in his hand getting hot.
Meanwhile, sensing what York was about to do, Abigail's vertical red pupils narrowed. She raised her right hand, and a powerful energy formed a huge, ominous black arrow that covered the entire hallway.
"Die!"
As she spoke, the arrow reached York instantly.
"So fast?" York, unable to throw the grenade in time, narrowed his eyes. With a grenade in his left hand, he could only switch to his Lien Borel automatic, loaded on his waist, and open fire.
Bang, bang, bang, bang.
However, the first two shots only slowed the arrow, and the last two shattered a bit of its energy.
The four shots delayed the arrow but had no real effect.
"So tough!"
York cursed under his breath and, with no time to spare, drew his knight's sword with his right hand, spreading 10 magic points along the blade and striking fiercely at the arrow.
[10 Magic Points Used] [Magic Power 15.5/157.5]
With a flash of cold light and a loud clash, York shattered the giant arrow but was thrown back against the wall by the remaining force.
In that moment, feeling the impact on his back, York's face remained calm as he took the opportunity to throw the grenade.
The whole process took only a few seconds. The 120-point enchanted grenade rapidly approached within three meters of Abigail.
Abigail, with her black eyes, remained unfazed, stilling the grenade mid-air, ready to push it away.
But then.
She noticed the priest in front of her, aiming a stick at her.
"Explode."
York, stuck in the wall, grinned and fired his Winchester M1897, seamlessly completing the action.
Bang! The magically-enchanted bullet pierced through the air, shattering the stilled grenade.
Abigail's black eyes widened slightly as massive energy surged around her, but it was too late.
Time seemed to stop for a moment, then...
Boom!!!!!!
The explosion was even louder than before.
For a moment, everything was blindingly bright, as if a giant hand had grasped the entire world, the light piercing the darkness and overwhelming everything.
This explosion outshone the previous one.
"Roar!"
The demon, which had been indifferent, finally let out a pained roar.
Dust and fire filled the air, obscuring the demon's fate from York's view. He could only focus on his immediate situation.
"The effect of 120 magic points was indeed a bit much," York realized, noting that this was someone else's building, not his own or an empty field.
[8 Magic Points Used] [...]
With 8 magic points, York's magic clashed with the incoming shockwave, but it was a struggle. The wave soon shattered his magical barrier.
"Good thing it's midnight, otherwise..."
As this thought crossed York's mind, he braced himself and was swept away by the blast, smashing through walls and continuing deep into the building.