It was unclear which elf first noticed that the magical effects in the air had vanished under the Bishop's purification spell. As a result, an arrow was quickly shot, striking a thief in the neck and emerging from the other side. The thief let out a strange wail, desperately trying to cover his throat with both hands, but the arterial blood pouring out was far too much for him to stop with his hands. He slowly collapsed.
Once one thief fell, the rest of the thieves became living targets for the elves. Within just a few blinks, all the thieves were either on the ground crying in agony or dead, with only a few lucky ones who were wounded but not fatally. The rest were swiftly killed with a single arrow.
Esis was fortunate. Two thieves supporting him were killed by arrows that pierced their throats, and he lost his balance and fell with them, escaping the elves' initial barrage. Just as an elf noticed him as a potential target and prepared to shoot, the Bishop intervened: "Please leave the leader alive. I believe there is someone behind them pulling the strings. We'll interrogate him slowly afterward."
In an instant, only Hilika and Talice were left battling fiercely.
Hilika had nearly lost his mind. Laughing wildly, he swung his enormous dual-bladed sword rapidly. The sword, weighing hundreds of pounds, moved with the speed and agility of a dagger, the resulting air pressure making even distant elves feel its force. Several elves had tried to shoot him, but as soon as their arrows entered the swirling wind created by his sword, they were blown away like dry grass.
At this point, Hilika had no desire to win. He knew he couldn't. Even if he defeated Talice, there were still ten Holy Warriors, a more powerful Temple Knight, the Bishop, and hundreds of elves surrounding him. He was like a beast trapped in a cage. The enemies assigned to him seemed to be doing this because they wanted to personally slaughter him.
Logic no longer had any use; it was consumed by despair and anger, transforming into killing intent. His mind was filled only with the overwhelming urge to kill. He wanted to kill everything in his path—if he couldn't kill his enemies, he'd kill himself.
His every movement, every tremor of his muscles, was fueled directly by his maddened soul. The violent killing intent that surged through his body had no outlet, and in the heat of battle, he even bit off his own lower lip, chewing and swallowing it. His attacks were no longer purely physical; they were driven by the fury of his spirit.
Talice's sword broke during the first clash with Hilika's dual blades. A Holy Warrior immediately threw his spear to her.
Amidst the storm created by Hilika's giant sword, the Temple Knight in glory armor, blessed with divine protection, skillfully dodged and weaved, finding openings to strike with his spear. Soon, the steel spear had pierced three small but significant holes in Hilika's muscular frame. Talice, though unharmed, was now at a disadvantage, barely managing to avoid fatal blows. Facing an enemy who didn't care about injuries or victory, only driven by the desire to swing his sword or even bite, this was no longer a normal battle.
In fact, Hilika no longer looked human. His focused mind and frenzied killing intent had pushed his body and spirit to their limits. His bulging muscles and massive frame were covered in blood, mixed with red fighting energy, indistinguishable from one another. The howls from his throat made the elves around him show expressions of fear and disgust, as if facing a legendary hellish monster.
The Bishop, at first, had his gaze fixed on the elf maiden in the distance, but gradually, it shifted toward Hilika. His expression grew more intrigued, as if he had discovered something incredibly amusing. He turned to a nearby Temple Knight: "Welleskay, this thief leader seems quite powerful, doesn't he?"
"If it weren't for the protection of the Glory Armor, Knight Talice would have already been defeated," the Temple Knight replied. He had a deep-set, gaunt face and held a massive golden war bow. "This man's body and combat skills are top-tier, but unfortunately, he has fallen into evil. That red fighting energy is the result of countless murders, too much bloodshed. The only people who can harness such bloodthirsty energy are truly vicious beings."
The Bishop nodded and thought for a moment, then asked, "Is the pride of Celestial Knights, the great Welleskay of the Divine Order, unable to deal with a mere thief leader?"
"This man knows he is on a dead-end path, and it seems his mind has been completely overtaken by rage and killing intent. But his movements are not erratic; it shows that years of combat experience are deeply ingrained in his mind. His brutality and bloodlust have seeped into his soul. The power coming from his soul, whether he is light or dark, is not something anyone can ignore." The Temple Knight said, his expression blank, as he continued explaining to the Bishop, seemingly oblivious to the ongoing battle. "While Talice's martial skills are indisputable, even with the protection of her glory armor, what she lacks is experience. She lacks the awareness and soul needed for life-and-death combat. She is doomed."
Hearing this, Talice's movements began to falter, and she even glanced back at her comrade, nearly getting struck by Hilika's blade.
The Temple Knight slowly raised the golden bow in his hands and took an arrow from behind. The bow, glowing with golden light, was so large that it almost seemed unwieldy in Welleskay's hands, despite his own imposing size. Welleskay's attire was different from the other Temple Knights. His glory armor was missing the right chest and right shoulder parts. His exposed right arm was massive, with muscles clearly defined and bulging, even larger and more robust than Hilika's mutated physique. The arm looked out of place, as if it had been grafted from a giant onto his body.
He nocked an arrow that was over a meter long, steel-thick, with intricate engravings on its surface. Though Hilika's dual-blade windstorm had rendered the elves' arrows ineffective, this one would not be stopped. Welleskay had previously used this arrow on a giant tree sentinel, and it didn't just tear through its wood-like body but shredded it completely.
"Wait. Welleskay, there's no need for you to intervene." The Bishop suddenly raised his hand to stop the Temple Knight. He turned to speak behind him: "Jarvis, take him down, but remember, alive. Try not to cause too much harm to his body."
The Temple Knight looked slightly surprised but made no comment. He silently lowered his bow and put away the arrow.
"Yes." The young holy warrior stepped forward, still wearing the same warm and friendly smile on his face. It seemed as if this person was always smiling, no matter when.
With a loud thud, the ground trembled slightly as Hilika's enormous sword slammed into the ground, creating a large crater. Talice seized the opportunity and thrust her spear into his abdomen, the point of the spear sinking half a foot into his rock-like muscles. However, this thrust only went that far; the muscles on both sides swelled, and the spear could go no further. Talice couldn't pull it out.
Hilika showed no sign of pain or surprise. In fact, the wound seemed to excite him, making him even more frenzied. He raised his massive sword once again and brought it down on Talice's head.
Talice finally pulled out her spear, along with a spray of blood and a piece of her intestines. She swung the spear horizontally as she flew backward. With a loud clang, the steel spear bent into a large "U" shape when it was struck by the huge sword. The force caused Talice's hands to tear apart at the joints, and the spear was sent flying through the air.
Hilika, with his mouth wide open, grinning even though half of it had been bitten off, and with his entrails spilling out, laughed maniacally as he chased after the female knight. Words like "wolf-like" or "demon-like" didn't even begin to describe him now. His power and ferocity were overwhelming. Even the surrounding elves let out a gasp.
As Talice flew backward, she suddenly felt her body soften, and someone caught her in midair. She was startled and furious. When she turned around, she saw a smile like sunshine and clouds.
"Lady Talice, you've worked hard. The bishop has asked me to take over for you." The young holy warrior gently set her down and then leaped toward the oncoming Hilika.
"Wait, you alone…" Talice raised her hand, trying to stop him, but she couldn't lift it. While the holy warrior was already a top-tier fighter compared to regular soldiers, he was still far below the Temple Knights in terms of both strength and protection. Not to mention, the Temple Knights' "Blessing of Heaven," which could be activated once per day, significantly boosted their combat effectiveness.
Even ordinary soldiers, with the "Blessing of Heaven," could take on ten or more opponents of similar strength. White magic, though not particularly offensive, could still compete with elemental magic in terms of support effects. But now, though the bishop had sent the young holy warrior to take over for Talice, no magic enhancements had been applied. The holy warrior didn't even use any magic before charging into battle.
Hilika didn't care who was facing him. His only thought now was to kill, to fight. With a roar, he swung his giant sword at the oncoming Paladin.
This thrust was simple, unadorned, but it was the most direct and effective. Hilika's decades of combat experience had honed his instincts. He predicted every possible change in the holy warrior's steps and actions. The holy warrior, without any magical enhancements, was just a bit slower than Talice. Unless he retreated, there was no way to completely avoid the attack.
However, the holy warrior did not retreat. Instead, he drew his sword and, with a single motion, thrust it directly at Hilika's giant sword.
The holy warrior held only an ordinary steel longsword, which, compared to Hilika's massive sword, was little more than a toothpick. But now, he was facing the oncoming behemoth with that small sword.
Talice and all the holy warrior, including Welleskay, were shocked by the young warrior's action. While they admired his talent and martial skill, a direct clash like this—strength against strength—was something no skill could alter.
Only the bishop remained calm and composed, his face unchanged, as if he either didn't understand the warrior's fight or had enough confidence in his own arrangements.
The swords met with a decisive crash. The tip of the holy warrior's longsword collided with Hilika's massive sword. The sound of shattering was unmistakable as the longsword snapped in half.
Not only did the sword break, but the holy warrior's arm was also pushed back by the tremendous force, and the sound of his wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints all dislocating could be heard in quick succession.
In the brief moment this took, Welleskay, who had lowered his golden greatbow, quickly raised it again. The massive steel arrow was drawn to its full length, ready to be loosed. In less than the time it would take to blink, that arrow could change the course of the entire battle.
But the arrow never left. Because in that fraction of a second, Welleskay saw the tide of battle turn.
The sword broke, and the holy warrior's wrist, elbow, and shoulder were dislocated, but Hilika's giant sword had also been deflected slightly to the side. The holy warrior's body continued to charge forward, sidestepping, his broken sword in his left hand. The sword, now crooked, barely missed his body, tearing his clothes and causing deep gashes in his skin. But the holy warrior's body passed Hilika's, and with pinpoint precision, the broken sword cut through Hilika's elbow joints.
The massive sword was still thrusting forward but flew out of Hilika's hands, landing far away.
Hilika froze. The bloodlust and madness that had taken over his mind seemed to clear, and he realized what had just happened. He didn't feel any pain, but his hands had completely lost control.
The broken sword didn't cut deep enough to pierce his fortress-like muscles, but it had severed the tendons in his elbow with perfect precision. Even with his immense size, the severed tendons prevented him from moving his arms, and soon the same feeling spread to his knees. In the next instant, his massive body collapsed to the ground, unable to rise again.
No matter how strong the muscles, no matter how fierce the rage and fighting spirit, once the tendons were severed, there was nothing left to hold the body together. Like a fire that immediately dies when the fuel is gone, this monstrous killing machine, once full of vitality and power, had fallen for good.
The warrior stood upright and sheathed his broken sword. He reset his dislocated joints with his left hand and cast a healing spell. It was not an easy task, and sweat was already forming on his forehead, but his face still held that easygoing smile, and not a strand of his golden hair was out of place. Yet, when he looked at Hilika on the ground, his eyes were cold, firm, and filled with satisfaction.
The warrior and Temple Knights merely showed slight changes in expression, but the surrounding elves erupted in excited cheers. Among them, a female patrol archer lowered her black longbow with a sigh of relief. She glanced at the Temple Knight beside her, who had already returned his bow to its sheath without any change in his demeanor, then scoffed. She had failed twice to take down Hilika and nearly injured an ally, so she couldn't help but compare herself to the Temple Knight, feeling a sense of rivalry.
Welleskay seemed to notice the elf's gaze and turned to look at her and her black longbow. His eyes lit up briefly before he nodded indifferently. "Good bow, but not one for you."
Kaylin's face changed immediately, but the Temple Knight didn't pay her any more attention. He turned and walked toward the warrior.
On the ground, Hilika let out a frantic scream. His body twitched violently, muscles contracting, and he looked like a heap of massive, moving meat. He knew the effects of the swords that had struck him. He was almost completely mad now, his furious roars and curses shaking the leaves around them.
Jarvis drew his broken sword and walked up to Hilika, slashing across his throat, severing his vocal cords. He then walked to Adela and bowed. "Bishop, I have completed my task."
"I knew you would succeed." The bishop smiled and nodded.
"Why did you use such a method?" Welleskay approached the warrior, and Talice also came over, their expressions strange. Talice looked at Welleskay with some anger and frustration, but she couldn't say anything. She looked at the warrior with admiration mixed with some other, more complicated feelings.
"What method? What do you mean by that?" The warrior asked, puzzled.
"If you had used magic or a more energy-efficient method, you could have still won. Why use such a risky, exhausting approach?" Talice glanced at the warrior's body, noting the scratches from Hilika's massive sword. If they had been just a bit deeper, he would have been the one lying on the ground instead of Hilika.
"Bishop Adra rarely gives me such an opportunity to train, so of course, I need to make the most of it. Opponents like this are not common." Jarvis smiled, then glanced into the depths of the forest. "Also, I learned from a duel long ago that it's not always the best to take the easiest path. The key is to face danger head-on and rely on your own strength to fight. Only then can a person truly grow."
Talice blinked, thought for a moment, and her admiration for him deepened.
Welleskay nodded, his eyes gleaming. After a while, he quietly said, "A young man who knows how to grow... impressive."