The moment I saw that the man had the ability to teleport Volken and Airon away effortlessly, I predicted he would do the same to us. It was only a matter of when he would use it, and that moment finally appeared.

I was watching the entire fight closely as I constructed a very special gun I had in mind. The length of time was greater than expected, possibly because of its considerable strength, and it was sapping a lot of my magical energy and determination. And it’s also because of fatigue. When I saw Zolvo raise his hand, I recognized the gesture quickly and prepared myself to be teleported. Just as I expected, I was teleported in front of him. He thought I would be caught off guard, but he was sorely mistaken. I whipped out a short-barreled shotgun I had no trouble creating with mana and aimed the gun directly at his chest. There was no kickback from the shotgun since I’m a superhuman and all.

The pellets were created entirely of mana, and with the help of [Marksmanship], completely shredded the archbishop’s golden aura. Zolvo swiftly pulled back his arm and stepped back from me, staring down at his chest in astonishment. Five bullet holes were packed together, and red blood seeped from those wounds.

“H-How is that possible? How was your mana able to penetrate against my holy aura? It should completely neutralize mana, unless…”

Archbishop Zolvo turned his head at the vanishing weapon in my hand. “I have never seen a weapon like that in my lifetime. It must’ve originated on that planet of yours.”

Zelke, Myra, and Isaac all ran to my side.

“Laila, what the fuck did you do to him?” Myra asked, astonished.

“For your attacks to pierce through that aura… It must be considerably stronger than my Aura Blade.” Zelkes’ lips twitched with excitement, as if he was preparing to request to me a duel.

“What you just witnessed right now is what we call a firearm back on Earth,” said Isaac. “Although this isn’t their exact look. They’re more… materialistic.”

The two of them looked like they were about to ask Isaac in greater detail about firearms, but were quickly interrupted by archbishop Zolvo.

“You humans are full of surprises, I’ll give you that.” he said as his bullet wounds closed instantly.

Isaac facepalmed at the bizarre sight. “Oh great. He can heal himself. Wonderful!”

“Now’s not the time to be stubborn. I know the extent of your strength now,” the archbishop growled. As he finished talking, an uncomfortable atmosphere enveloped the area. The air turned bitterly cold, making me shiver as if I was standing in a freezer.

“Oh? He’s finally revealing his ultimate form,” Isaac mumbled.

Ultimate form? Will it be the same as that Arachne he fought before? Or will it be entirely different? The weapon in my hands has almost completed its construction. I’d say it will be done in a minute, at most. The foundation must be strong. If it’s weak, the gun wouldn’t be able to handle the bullet’s extreme power. It would be akin to using a crude paper cup to hold water.

“Uh… Shouldn’t you guys do something about him? Letting him transform is a bad idea, ya know?” I asked worriedly.

“Yeah, we should do something,” Isaac replied.

All three of them stepped forward, ready to stop him from transforming, but then a strange event occurred. The archbishop's radiance suddenly diminished and then he proceeded to talk loudly into thin air.

“Hm? Cardinal Nicholas? Is there something the matter? Retreat for now? But-“

Archbishop Zolvo was about to protest the voice in his head, but his face turned deadly serious.

“I understand. I’ll withdraw for now.”

After finishing his conversation, Zolvo turned his gaze to us. “You fools are lucky. The Cardinal has ordered me to withdraw for now as a problem has arisen. While you live for another day, know this. You are not safe from the claws of the Church of Pillars and the gods. Heed my words, your deaths have just been put on hold, for now.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

With a snap of his fingers, Archbishop Zolvo was gone, leaving the four of us confused as hell about what just transpired.

“So, If I’m understanding this correctly, this Zolvo guy ran away like a pussy. He got scared by a measly shotgun!” Isaac said.

“I’m pretty sure he was talking to the Cardinal within his mind,” I corrected him. “Something about a problem that has arisen…”

“Well, screw him then. I didn’t want to fight another transformed archbishop anyway…” Myra sighed in relief.

Isaac scratched his head while surveying the area. What used to be a bustling street of happy citizens walking with friends and family, smiling and having a good time was now an area of chaos. The ground was covered in small depressions, with wood and concrete scattered about, and some parts of the street had rocks protruding like lances. Houses had enormous gaps in their roofs and walls, a reminder of a bombed town. The amount of time and money needed to start repairs… They have a lot of work cut out for them.

“So… what now?” I said to the group.

“Our objective is the same,” Zelke said. “We haven’t recovered The Oracle from Airon’s grimy hands.”

“Uh. We don’t know where he’s heading,” Isaac said.

“He’s heading to Tatjun. The destination came out of Zolvo’s lips. It hasn’t been long since they were transported. If we leave now, we’ll cat-“

An icy sensation crept over us when an abundance of mana was felt in our vicinity. We all kept our weapons directed towards the source as we remained vigilant, awaiting what was to come. Near a rock sputtered blue sparks. The weird phenomenon grew larger, outlining a circular portal. A white hand emerged from the portal, and then the pale face of a smiling woman appeared.

“Why, hello there! What a nice welcoming I’m seeing before me…”

“Solgen!”

Isaac and I ran up to our master like giddy children who hadn’t seen their favorite aunt in years. As Solgen emerged from the portal, I witnessed her pulling two individuals along by the collar of their shirts.

“The fuck? Isn’t that Airon and Volken?” Isaac yelled out, backing away slowly.

“Of course. I caught them just before they could escape.”

Solgen glanced down at the quiet duo. One of Airon’s eyes was turning black and was clamped shut. Volken had a few scratches and bruises on his face.

“I would love to fill you in on the details, but we must hurry. That damned Nicholas sent a group to come after me, and you guys as well. He knows I’ve captured both Airon and Volken.”

Solgen threw both Apithiens back into the portal, dusting her hands like she just threw away a bag of trash.

“Now… everyone get inside. That includes the both of you,” Solgen said, pointing at Myra and Zelke.

They followed along as we all hopped into the portal. After everyone was inside the portal dimension, Solgen closed the entryway with just a wave of her hand. An aura of quietness hung in the air. It was probably the fact that their enemies were right there in front of them. Isaac, Myra, and Zelke were observing them intently. Solgen, however, wasn’t worried about them at all.

“Solgen, is it true? Was Igni Town destroyed?” I asked, breaking the silence.

Solgen looked at her brother in disgust. “Oh? You knew about it? Ah… Volken probably told you, didn’t he? Yes, it’s true Igni Town was destroyed. Don’t worry, everyone is safe. Morgac and I evacuated all the citizens just before The Enforcer arrived.”

“The Enforcer?” Isaac interjected, finally prying his eyes away from the enemy.

“Yes, The Enforcer. Lapdog of the Pillars. Like those two sad heaps of trash over there.”

Volken stayed quiet at the provocation, but Airon, the chatter-mouth he is, piped up.

“All of this verbal and physical abuse. Go easy on me, will you-“

A sword was thrown right between Airon’s legs, narrowly missing his private parts. That action caused Airon to shut up and avert his eyes.

“Quiet down,” Solgen hissed. “Speak unless you’re spoken to. Mind your manners in front of your elder. As I was saying… The Enforcer is the lapdog of the Pillars, or more precisely, the lapdog of Artoic. He follows her every order and whim. Artoic sent that man to chase after you two. Thankfully, we intercepted him before he could catch up to you guys.”

There goes that name again, Artoic. She must be the one orchestrating everything behind the scenes, acting as some sort of god. This person really is a pain in our ass, isn’t she?

“Right when I was going to cut off his head, that buffoon of a brother showed up, saving him. The Enforcer got away just before I could kill him. And then he had the audacity to run away too! He rose to his feet above us, appearing as if he was about to be involved in the altercation, yet inexplicably ran away like a coward. I chased after him for days, leaving Morgac behind to clean things up. I finally found him hiding out in the woods between Cronas and Jahla.”

That sure is weird indeed. Volken doesn’t seem like the type to run away from fights. Is he hiding something?

“I wanted to kick his ass and have him cough up everything he knows, but I sensed that idiot Airon running away. I defeated Volken first and captured Airon. One thing led to another, and here we are.”

“That’s great and all, but what are you going to do with them now?” Isaac pointed at the two.

“I’ll figure that out later,”

Myra, who was quiet this whole time, finally spoke up. “Arrive? Arrive to where?”

Solgen smiled at the rest of us and said, “We’re going back to Silis, of course.”

Coincidentally, another portal opened right in front of us. We all stepped out of the portal, our feet crunching across the dirt. It was still dark outside, but I knew the location. We were positioned at a guarded entryway that had guards overlooking the walls. Two entrances of different sizes stood, one wide enough to fit a parade, and another meant for a carriage. A salty but refreshing scent wafted through the air.

We finally returned to Port Silis.