Seren exchanged a glance with Golsiera, as if agreeing on a plan.
"Justiciar, can you create an opening? The creature is moving quickly, but Golsiera and I can limit its movement," Seren said.
"Understood," replied Krozekel.
He raised his spear and shouted,
"Magnum Exorcism!" A beam of light formed from it, striking the monster.
The beam was enormous, pushing the creature through building after building.
Seren and Golsiera ran alongside the beam from opposite sides, cornering the monster so it could not escape.
The creature fired another energy ball into the sky and shot it upward.
But before it could explode, several mages and guards successfully used Arcane Retaliation to prevent the blast.
Seizing the chance, Seren charged with her sword, using the technique Roaring Gale, and knocked the monster back.
Golsiera leaped, stopping the monster's wings with her axe.
Cornered, the creature had no choice but to take another hit. Krozekel used Ray of Genesis once again.
The creature staggered, and Seren thrust her sword into its chest.
But as she locked eyes with the monster's head, she was shocked to see Dellain's head come back to life.
Suddenly, Dellain screamed loudly.
The monster's body began to change.
Red and black light engulfed the area.
Seren and Golsiera managed to avoid it, before regrouping with Krozekel and the guards.
"What is that?" Golsiera asked.
"Nona Martyr, is that the transformation into a Deep Elf, as I've heard?" Krozekel asked.
"No, this is something else. Everyone, prepare Attrition Bane on your weapons," Seren ordered.
As the black and red light slowly faded, the monster and Dellain's body merged, revealing a bat-like humanoid form.
"What is that?? An Evolved One?" Golsiera asked.
"This is bad..." Krozekel said.
"Everyone, get ready!" Seren ordered.
The monster drew a sword from its throat.
Without warning, it lunged at Seren and the others.
Its speed increased drastically.
Seren tried to attack, but the monster, now Dellain, easily dodged her strikes.
Dellain's monster form then attacked Krozekel.
Krozekel countered by attempting to stab the monster, but it caught his attack effortlessly.
Wings emerged from the monster's back—bony wings with blood-red skin, and eyes covered the surface of these wings.
Above them, a red circle appeared, which then fell to the ground, blasting everyone away.
The sheer destructive power sent Seren flying three blocks away.
Seren got back up and immediately entered meditation mode.
The monster, now Dellain, looked at Seren and aimed its finger at her. A laser shot out from its finger.
Golsiera quickly intervened, blocking the attack with her body to protect Seren.
Krozekel ran at the monster, but was easily evaded.
The two clashed, but the monster proved far stronger than Krozekel.
It effortlessly sent Krozekel flying into the air before attempting to strike him.
Golsiera attacked with her axe.
Then she used Life Vow and Sacrifice, causing a blood flame effect to engulf her axe.
Golsiera struck the monster repeatedly, but all her attacks were blocked by the monster.
Finally, the monster grabbed her with its left hand and flew into the air, choking her.
Dellain's monster released Golsiera into the air.
Before she could reach the ground, Dellain's monster launched several energy orbs with tremendous explosive force toward Golsiera.
Golsiera was severely wounded, with parts of her armor badly damaged. However, she managed to kneel and stand.
Seeing this, Dellain's monster tried to attack again by firing another energy orb.
Golsiera struggled to move, but before the attack could hit her,
Krozekel used Basilica to create a magic barrier, protecting Golsiera.
A magic arrow hit Dellain's monster and exploded in midair.
Once the smoke from the explosion cleared, Dellain's monster was entangled in chains.
From a distance, members of the Adventurer Guild arrived.
A Goblin Archer, holding a magic chain, used lightning magic to electrify the entire chain, shocking Dellain's monster in the air until it fell to the ground.
Once the chain was destroyed, an Orc charged at the monster with a spear.
The spear thrust was stopped by the monster's sharp wings.
But before Dellain's monster could strike the Orc, one of the Orc's companions, a Knight, used an Ultra Greatsword to attack.
"Lion's UpperCut!!" the man shouted,
sending Dellain's monster flying far away.
However, as if unharmed, Dellain's monster got back up and howled into the air.
Suddenly, dozens of massive tentacles emerged from the ground.
Krozekel raised a magic catalyst and summoned a light that illuminated everyone.
"Benediction!!" Krozekel shouted.
Everyone was empowered by the light, strengthening them for the fight against the giant tentacles.
"Impressive," said Golsiera.
"Everyone, focus!" Krozekel yelled.
Golsiera, along with the Adventurers, Guards, and other Paladins, fought against the emerging tentacles.
Meanwhile, Krozekel slowly walked, preparing to face Dellain's monster.
But not long after, Seren appeared and stood beside Krozekel.
Seren in Holy Mode: Pure Holy Ascension,
while Krozekel used Lord's Aura, with a crown of light appearing on his helm.
Dellain's monster merely stared at the two of them before, with a voice as if possessed by a demon, the monster spoke:
"Surorcula will claim your head, Seren Eleison..."
Dellain tried to take control of his body back from the monster.
"Arrgh!! Let me go!!" Dellain screamed, struggling to regain control.
"S...sere...Don't...be...careful...with him...on S..." Dellain tried to warn, but was once again taken over by the monster.
The monster immediately attacked both Paladins.
Seren charged at the monster, exchanging blows, but found it difficult to keep up with the monster's lightning-fast movements.
It landed a powerful blow to Seren's stomach, sending him flying.
The monster's body began to change as blood-red flesh covered its form.
However, Krozekel wasn't about to let it be.
"Signum Crux!" he shouted.
A blue-white orb appeared, and light poured from it, hurting the monster and destroying the red flesh growing on its body.
This gave Seren the chance to strike with Roaring Gale, heavily wounding the monster.
But its body instantly regenerated, stunning both Seren and Krozekel.
Refusing to give up, Seren increased his power, his wings growing larger, and quickly soaked his sword in his own blood.
The monster tried to retaliate by using an energy ball, but Krozekel held it off with Basilica.
The monster quickly moved toward them, but Seren punched it in the face.
Still reeling from the impact, Seren charged again, grabbing the monster's face.
"Ignite!!"
"Ignite!"
"Ignite!!" Seren yelled, each time fire erupted and burned the monster's face.
Despite Seren's hand covering its mouth, the monster still managed to create an energy ball and detonated it right where they were.
However, the monster Dellain was startled to see Seren, still standing despite being injured.
"Lord's Mercy," Seren whispered.
A golden aura surrounded Seren, forming a spectral armor around him.
He dragged the monster Dellain and hurled it into the air.
The monster struggled to maintain balance and fly, not even realizing what was happening when a Light Spear pierced through it.
"Holy Magic: Heretical Branding," Seren said.
In pain, the monster grew eyes on its red wings.
"Sacrementus!!" Krozekel shouted, creating a golden spectral shield.
He threw the shield toward Seren, who caught it and charged toward the monster Dellain.
The monster Dellain attacked repeatedly with energy balls and unseen strikes.
But Seren managed to block and parry the attacks using his shield and sword.
Seren managed to stab the monster, but despite being pierced, the monster Dellain strangled Seren with both hands.
Krozekel, leaping from a building, stabbed the back of Dellain's neck, but the monster's wings immediately pierced through his entire body.
"GOD'S SIGHT!" shouted the monster Dellain, creating a circle similar to before and knocking both paladins back.
The monster's hands transformed into a pair of swords.
It immediately charged at Seren, stabbing both of his shoulders and dragging him through the surrounding buildings.
Seren struggled to break free, trying to remove the monster's swords from his body.
But the monster Dellain wouldn't let go and continued slamming Seren's body into buildings.
"Spear Technique: Overbranding," Krozekel said, attacking from behind.
But the monster Dellain caught Krozekel's spear with its left hand.
Seeing this, Seren reached for his sword and stabbed the monster's abdomen.
"Holy Judgement: Adromanus!" Krozekel shouted.
A cross of light struck the monster Dellain, and it was engraved on its back.
In agony, the monster Dellain released its grip on Seren.
Seren seized the opportunity and used Holy Disc, cutting off the monster Dellain's right hand.
The monster Dellain used God's Sight again, knocking both paladins back.
From a distance, Seren and Krozekel saw the monster Dellain's body starting to regenerate.
Not giving the monster a chance to fully heal, Seren quickly charged at the monster Dellain.
The two exchanged strikes, each trying to overpower the other.
Krozekel assisted from a distance, amazed by Seren's ability to trade blows with the monster Dellain.
Despite the significant difference in physical strength, Seren managed to outmaneuver the monster, continuously slashing at parts of its body that hadn't yet regenerated.
Seren used Roaring Gale once more, slashing at the monster Dellain's neck.
Blood began to spill from the monster Dellain's body, and it finally began to falter.
However, Holy Mode on Seren started to end.
Before Seren ran out of energy, he drew a sword, one that Taki had given him, and used Fiery Glint.
Dozens of sparks of light attacked the monster Dellain's body, slowly burning it.
Before the monster could react, Seren stabbed its chest, hitting its heart.
In pain, the monster Dellain immediately strangled Seren's neck as soon as Holy Mode ended.
Both of them struggled, Seren, starting to lose consciousness, tried to weaken his grip.
But before Seren passed out completely, Krozekel stabbed the monster Dellain's neck from behind.
The monster Dellain, unable to breathe, released its grip on Seren's neck.
Seren crawled to a safe spot, gasping for air, while Krozekel continued to drive his spear into the dying monster Dellain's neck.
Suddenly, the monster Dellain's back was covered in blood-red flesh.
Krozekel couldn't react in time as an explosion erupted from the monster Dellain's back.
The blast was enormous, burning everything within a 100-meter radius.
Seren was hit by the explosion, his arm covered in burns, while Paladin Krozekel lost both of his legs, being thrown further away from the large flames.
The monster Dellain, now barely holding its form, began crawling.
Seren struggled to move, but his legs were severely wounded, and he couldn't move. He also started to lose consciousness.
A tentacle emerged and pierced Seren's leg, dragging him.
Seren reached for Taki's sword, and as the monster Dellain grabbed his body, Seren repeatedly stabbed the monster's head.
Eventually, the monster began losing consciousness and finally fell.
Seren, holding back the pain, began crawling away, but when he glanced at the monster's body, he saw a mass of blood-red flesh forming again, ready to finish him off.
Seren, struggling to move, lifted his sword as his last defense.
But just then, an explosion occurred. A shadow appeared, cutting through the blast aimed at Seren.
Seren, saved from the blast, looked at the shadow.
It was none other than File White (Fallion Drake Blood), the Champion and protector of Whiteford himself.