The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 30
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- The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild
- Chapter 30 - The Full Aspect of the Heretical Skill
Kirke said with admiration, “Wow, you can move quite fast.”
Amidst the successive explosions, I continued to dodge them at the last moment while holding Nina in one arm. It seems Kano managed to carry Pitt away from this place safely. Pitt must be overjoyed to be held by his admired Kano. Thinking such unnecessary thoughts nearly got me blown away by an explosion.
Holy Knights usually advance their fights against this type of magician through holy magic. Binding the opponent with holy power or using orbs of light as projectile weapons, holy magic can be a very effective measure when facing heretics if one can handle it.
However, since holy magic skills are acquired along with skill manifestation, someone inept like me cannot handle it. Therefore, I must confront magicians like Kirke with just a sword. I can easily fight against lower-level heretics, but the merciless Kirke is too much to handle.
Holding Nina in one hand and clutching my long sword in the other, I look for an opportunity to counterattack, but dodging the continuous explosions is all I can manage.
Then, Nina, in my arms, spoke up.
“Don, if you were the Demon Lord, you could easily defeat that magician,” she said.
“No way, that’s impossible. The opponent has inflicted serious injuries on many Holy Knights, a powerful magician. Someone like me, a low-ranking knight, hardly stands a chance. By the way, Nina, can you activate the Demon Lord’s Vessel skill?”
I left Nina here thinking that if she could use the power of the Demon Lord, we could stand a chance against Kirke.
Nina shook her head.
“The Demon Lord says he doesn’t want to fight because that witch is like his underling.”
“What?”
I was at a loss for words to this unexpected response. While we were talking, a giant fireball was thrown at us. I quickly hid behind some rubble and caught my breath.
Kirke’s voice echoed, “You’re just a small fry who can only live in slums like this because you’re always running away!”
Then, another explosion occurred nearby, and the blast wave hit us.
I stroked Nina’s head.
“Nina, I’m sorry for bringing you to such a place. I’ll draw him away. Can you escape and return to the guild headquarters in the meantime?”
Nina shook her head again.
“I want to help Don.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but it’s too dangerous here.”
“I can persuade the Demon Lord.”
“Persuade?”
“The Demon Lord is a bit upset about being called a small fry. Until the Demon Lord is willing to fight, Don, please keep carrying me and buy some time like you did before.”
Well, the one being called a small fry is me, not the Demon Lord, but before I could respond, black smoke began to rise around Nina.
“Alright, I’ll buy some time. But if persuasion fails, think only of your safety.”
Holding Nina, I dashed out from behind the rubble and began moving quickly again. Explosions, fireballs, and ice pillars attacked from all sides, but I increased my speed to cope. I may not use holy magic, but my basic physical abilities are among the highest in the Holy Knights. With some practice, I could handle this much.
Kirke’s laughter reached my ears.
“Small fry, small fry, small fry! You’re just a rat that can only run away!”
At this point, Kirke’s taunting was advantageous for me. Each time Kirke uttered the word “small fry,” the black smoke enveloping Nina grew denser.
“You don’t have to be ashamed to die! After all, the one who killed you is the world’s greatest black magician, the merciless Kirke-sama!”
When those words echoed through the ruins, a mocking voice came from my arms.
“As if someone like you could be the best in the world.”
Suddenly, the one in my arms was the Demon Lord Manina. Held by me, Manina turned her purple eyes towards me, and, for some reason, her face blushed.
“It’s the first time in history that someone has held me in one hand and touched my chest. You’re the first, you know.”
Only then did I become conscious of the soft area my left hand was feeling.
“No, given the situation, it can’t be helped! But why does turning into the Demon Lord make your chest so big?!”
“Don’t mind it. Since it’s you, Nina’s benefactor, it’s fine. However, you wish to enjoy this…”
“No, I don’t intend to do anything like that!”
I remembered a fellow trainee at the Holy Knight Training School who, while looking at a picture of Demon Lord Manina in “The Third Era: Demon Lord Manina Catalogue,” passionately said, “Our idol, Manina-chan, is a baby-faced beauty. But her body is fully matured. It’s the imbalance that’s so great!” If he were here now, he would probably cry tears of joy. Certainly not the situation to think about such things.
“Anyway, Manina, I need your help fighting that witch.”
“I haven’t thanked you yet. I’d like to make that insolent witch, who treated me as a small fry, grovel at my feet as soon as possible. However, the truth is, I can’t win alone.”
“Hey, didn’t you say through Nina earlier that even I could easily win?”
Manina said, “The main issue is stamina. She has multiple layers of magical barriers on her body. As I’ve mentioned before, I get sleepy quickly. After breaking through those magical barriers, I don’t have enough stamina left to deal with her directly.”
Indeed, back in Pornai, she had fallen asleep after creating a huge fireball. She probably can’t maintain her Demon Lord state for long.
I turned my back against a crumbling wall, which was in the enemy’s blind spot, and set Manina down on the ground.
“So, you want me to break the magical barriers?”
“That’s right. If the barriers are gone, she can be defeated with a single blow.”
That means I have to navigate through that intense barrage and deal a direct hit.
Manina asked, “I have a question. Why are you holding back your abilities so much? It seems as if you’re moving with weights on.”
“Weights? My abilities are just like this.”
“It’s possible you’re imagining yourself before your heretical skill manifests. Your skill manifestation should have also changed your ability values.”
“Ability values changed?”
“Take a look at your abilities before and after.”
As Demon Lord Manina said, ancient letters floated up before me.
Before
Leon Stein
Race: Human
Skill: Unmanifested
ATK: 120
DEF: 100
DEX: 120
HP: 200
MANA: 0
CHARM: 50
After
Don Michino, also known as Leon Stein
Race: Human
Skill: King of Heretics
King’s Insight (Can appraise heretics who swore loyalty)
King’s Aura (Can acquire loyalty from heretics)
King’s Protection (Can interfere with the detection of heretical skills)
King’s Enhancement (Automatically adds the abilities of loyal heretics to oneself)
Sub-skill: The Other Face
Status
ATK: 120 → 190
DEF: 100 → 170
DEX: 120 → 180
HP: 200 → 350
MANA: 0 → 2000
CHARM: 50 → 120
My eyes were captivated by the appraisal results that appeared before me. I could appraise the skills of heretics who swore loyalty to me, but I was unaware of my abilities. And what does this mean? My skills have manifested, and my basic abilities have significantly improved.
“That’s related to the King’s Enhancement ability. That ability allows you to add a portion of the power of loyal heretics to your basic abilities. It’s natural for your basic abilities to improve.”
Come to think of it, this is my first real battle since my heretical skill manifested. I’ve continued training as usual since then, and I’ve felt that I’ve been growing faster lately, but I didn’t know it had improved this much.
Demon Lord Manina tapped my shoulder.
“The battle from now on is a joint fight between two kings. Let’s crush that pathetic witch together and trample her dignity so much that she’ll never dare to face us again!”