Yuki's perspective (a few minutes later, at the bottom of the cave)



　It was a dead end.
　The pathway stopped here. There's no branch roads or anything.
　So we're at the end of the cave.

Huhuh, huh? I guess the other two aren't here yet.
So this is the goal?
Yes. Is there anything suspicious about it?
'I heard about the Cave of the Holy Sword, so I thought there was something like that.
I do. There it is.

　Odette pointed to a corner of the wall.
　The grip of a sword protruded from the rock wall.

'This is the Holy Sword?'
Didn't I say it was sealed?
How did you end up here?
'It is said to have been embedded here by a priest who feared the power of the holy sword. No one has ever seen the body of the sword, and no one can pull it out in the first place.
It's like a pretty bad 'ancient artifact'.
The higher magicians have neglected it, so it's none of my business.

　Odette-Slay shrugged.

'More importantly, we win the test.
Yeah. Cheers. Odette.
No, no, I was just running along peacefully.
The undead started acting weird halfway through.
Yes you have not been able to move at all.

　Halfway through the cave, the undead began to ignore us.
　It was as if they were listening to voices that only the undead could hear.

''Anyway, that concludes the exam. Magician Demeter-sama. Are you seeing this?　It's Odette-Slay and Yuki-Grossaria who won the fight!

　Odette is waving her hands all over the place.
　The sorcerer Demeter's messenger must be out there somewhere........




''Oooh, oooh, oooh!



　Instead, a voice came from the entrance.
　Zirvan-Keels....or is it Gaiel-Wolfgang...?

'Oh, I see the other two have arrived. That's too bad. It was me and Yuki who came in.
Don't move!　Odette.

　Who are you?　Who exudes such dark magic.

It's not Zirvan or Gaile that comes close.
What are you talking about?
It's a ghost. No, technically, it was someone possessed by a ghost.
..........?

　Odette readied her sword.
　I think she understood what I meant.

''What is this magical power? It's too strong for a dead man.
"The higher ghosts I'm guessing Wraith or Spectre. I hear footsteps. Someone's gotten possessed.

　From the corner of the aisle, a gray-robed figure emerged.
　It's Gaiel-Wolfgang.
　Behind him a shadow that looks like a skull is floating in the air.

"I am the seventh priest of the Church of the Sanctuary, Rogruel...

　The shadow said.

"They have responded to our ancient summons with the ancient magic we left behind, and they are here. "You want the sword we found, and you want it back?
"You're a ... priest of the 'Sanctuary Church'?　Who's doing summoning magic here?
"Akello on the Road...

　A blade of ice floats around Gaiel.
　As expected of a spiritual body. Quick to activate.
　It's because they're leaking magic power. Can it supply magic power directly to magic?

I'm sorry...
Back off, Odette!

　I activate "Body Strengthening (Boosted)" double.
　I knock down the ice blade with a super reaction.

"Ho.........The sorcerer of this era is quite a challenge.
...don't bother the living with the dead.

The Seventh Priest of the Sanctuary Church.
　........Speaking of which, in the Barony, Teacher Kachel was trying to use 'Ancient Magic' to summon these people. For that purpose, he was using Brother Xellos' magic power. In the end, though, the sorcery failed and the priests of the 'Sanctuary Church' never showed up.
　Did Gaiel use the same kind of 'Ancient Magic' here?

　I heard that in this huge dungeon 'Elysian', people from the 'Sanctuary Church' lost their lives in the past. In other words, their souls are still in this place. If you use the ancient magic of summoning them, there's a good chance you can summon them as ghosts. The amount of magic required should also be small.

　But........why did Gaile call this guy?
　An accident?　Or did someone order you to do it?

　Either he's from my time or he was appointed afterwards.
　Either way you're annoying.
The Sanctuary Church the one who hunted me down in my previous life, who treated me like a monster for so long........is here.



Stay away from him!　Yuki-Grossaria, Odette-Slay!
"I won't let anyone die on your test, young lady!

　I heard a scream.
　At the same time, there was also the sound of skeletons being blown away.

　Beyond the swarm of undead were the sorcerer Demeter and General Barnes.
　Demeter unleashed his magic and Barnes was coming towards us, swinging his axe.

''General, clear the way. I will stop that dead spirit myself!
Yes!

　General Barnes swings his long-handled axe and plunges into the crowd of skeletons.

''Geeeaaaaah!

　With a scream, the skeletons and ghosts disappear. A path opens up.
　The sorcerer Demeter ran through it.

''Stay away from my students, Dead Spirit!　Activate 'Thorns in the Underworld'!

　Demeter's magic has been activated.
　Iron thorns born from the ground surround Gaiel-Wolfgang's body.
　They tried to entangle him with every dead spirit...

"Foolishness.
What...?

　The barrier (shield) created by the necromancer stopped me.

The magic of this era is only this slow. It doesn't work fast enough. It's not powerful enough.
.... uh ...
After all, I am a sanctuary church and I must be led to it!

　The storm swirled and swirled.
　The wind, so strong that it was impossible to stand, blew the sorcerer Demeter and General Barnes away.

　The sorcerer also used his magic to shoot through the ceiling of the cave.
　The rock crumbled and became a wall in front of the sorcerer Demeter and General Barnes.

'Yukidono!　Odette-Slay!
What are you doing to my trainees, Deadpool!
"I have no use for humans. My only desire is to take back what was taken from me: the ancient artifacts.

　The dead spirit laughs with a face full of nothing but bones.

"And we, the Sanctuary Church, will lead the people. For the sake of humanity's evolution...


Shut up.


　My dagger cut off the arm of the dead spirit.

''─Until it!　'Kid!'
"Stop bothering the dead from bothering the living. Go away. Ghosts.

　We're finally moving.
　Odette and I are allied with each other.
　I had to lie down with her until the storm cleared.

"If it can cut me, then it's a silver weapon!

　The necromancer bishop laughed.
　The arm I slashed is slowly regenerating.

"This is not going to work like this. I am the great seventh priest──''
Activate skill "Purification.

　I heard a sizzling sound.
　The tip of the spirit body from the wrist evaporated.

'Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!　'Kisama, nah, nah wow!'

　The Dead Spirit Bishop exclaimed.

　My 'magic blood' can be manipulated at will for a certain amount of time, even if it leaves the body.
　If I attach blood to the ghost and activate the 'purification' skill, I can even erase that part of the ghost.

"You....Nanda!　Nanoscience, you are!
Pitiable figure. Seventh Priest, I mean.
".........ah?
You call people monsters, vampire kings, and then you get rid of them, and now you have the look? What do you think you're doing, human?
"Nanda?　You're a wanker!
Shut up!　The creatures of the past need to get the hell out of there or go somewhere else where they won't be a nuisance!

　I kicked the ground and flew.
　I raised my dagger at the necks of the dead spirits.

''Fuzakelnaaaaaaaa!

　A blade of ice is created around him and flies towards me.
　I just barely ducked out of the way and landed on the ground.

Yuki!
It's okay. Odette.

　Just a little slash on my left arm and some blood. It'll pass.

"Doda. Oh, wait, Norna!　Kid!
Purification.

　I activate my purification skill again.
　I 'purify' Gaiel-Wolfgang, who was bathed in my return blood.

''──Ungaaaaaaaaaah!

　Bishop Reaper moves away from Gaiel-Wolfgang's body.
　I took Gaiel in my arms and moved to the back of the cave.

　This is the reason I ate his magic earlier.
　It's all I needed to do was to shower Gaiel-Wolfgang with my "Mystel Blood".
　If I used 'Purification' in that state, I could pull the Dead Spirit Bishop away from Gaiel.
　I'll have to ask Gaiel what's going on. I can't let the Dead Spirit devour my spirit and magic power.

''I helped Gaiel!　Take it easy, Odette!
Yes, sir!

　Odette's fingertips draw two crests at the same time.
　In a beautiful voice, she spins out a flowing chant.

''Ancient magic!　"The Force of Earth!

　A few 'stone spears' are born from the ground.
　They all flew up at once and stabbed at the Dead Spirit Bishop.

''Guh-ooh-ooh!　You're a girl...!
''Efreet Blows!

　I lay Gaiel down on the ground and draw a crest on my palm.
　Immediately activated, I strike the Dead Spirit Bishop with a double fireball.

'Gaaaaaah!　Guh, guh, guh, guh!''
'The reason why dead spirits possess living people is to gain magical power. Dead spirits eat magic power to materialize. Now that we're away from Gaiel-Wolfgang, we can't replenish our magic power anymore!
"Kid... how did you get that much knowledge at such a young age?
You've been practicing necromancy for nearly 200 years, and what have you done with it?
"...what?
"Don't give me any ideas about human evolution!　You've been wiping out all the 'human modus operandi' except humans and subhumans for that!　You failed to make it that far, and then you failed to start a war, and then you were destroyed, and then you ended up becoming a dead man and haunting the kids!　I don't feel sorry for those who perished because of you!

　No, not at all.
　These are the people who started the war and ruined the world.
　I gave way to humans in an honest way.

'You can evolve and fly away to the stars if you want to. You incompetent bishop!
"Geezahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

　Bishop Death shouted.

'Give me the holy sword!　"I will study the sealed holy sword again... and I will make a new life... for myself!
"A new life?

　Odette murmured, "It's a holy sword for the destruction of the evil one.

'I have a holy sword in here to destroy the evil one. It's not something that the spirits of death would want... what is the secret...?
I'm curious. Let's check it out.
"........huh?　Yuki!
Good.

　I gripped the hilt of the holy sword buried in the wall.


　I pulled.



''──Welcome back. ''My Lord.''



　A voice said, and the holy sword slipped out.